Gaza peace talks enter their second day on the war's anniversary

Audio By Carbonatix

CAIRO (AP) — Peace talks between Israel and Hamas resumed at an Egyptian resort city on Tuesday, the two-year anniversary of the militant group's surprise attack on Israel that triggered the bloody conflict that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The second day of indirect negotiations at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh is focused on a plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump last week that aims to bring about an end to the war.

A senior Egyptian official involved in the ceasefire talks said Hamas has demanded guarantees that Israel won’t return to war after the release of the remaining 48 hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, 20 of them believed by Israel to be alive. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive, closed-door negotiations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the war will only end when all the hostages are returned and Hamas has been disarmed. He has accepted Trump's plan, which calls for Gaza to be placed under international governance and for Hamas to be disarmed, elements the militants have yet to accept.

The plan has received widespread international backing, and Trump told reporters on Monday that he thought there was a “really good chance” of a lasting deal.

“This is beyond Gaza,” he said. "Gaza is a big deal, but this is really peace in the Middle East."

Senior officials from the U.S., Qatar and Turkey continue to arrive in Sharm el-Sheikh to join the negotiations, the Egyptian official said. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told journalists that members of the U.S. delegation would join the talks on Wednesday.

The plan envisions Israel withdrawing its troops from Gaza after Hamas disarms, and an international security force being put in place. The territory would be placed under international governance, with Trump and former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair overseeing it.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Hamas reiterated its longstanding demands for a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza but said nothing about disarmament.

The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251. Most have since been released in ceasefires or other deals.

The devastating war that has ensued has killed at least 67,160 Palestinians and nearly 170,000 wounded, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, and left the territory in ruins.

The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says more than half of the deaths were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the United Nations and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.

A growing number of experts, including those commissioned by a U.N. body, have said Israel’s offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide — an accusation Israel vehemently denies.

On Tuesday, thousands of Israelis gathered at an area attacked by Hamas two years ago to pay tribute to loved ones who were killed and kidnapped. An explosion echoed across the fields following the launch of a rocket in northern Gaza. No damage or injuries were reported.

In Gaza City, residents said Israeli attacks continued until early Tuesday. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

“We pray to God that this war will end as soon as possible, today instead of tomorrow,” Sanaa Adwan, a displaced woman, said in Khan Younis on Monday.

Ahead of the resumption of talks, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the hostilities have created "a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale that defied comprehension.”

Trump's proposal "presents an opportunity that must be seized to bring this tragic conflict to an end,” Guterres said in a statement.

Egypt and Qatar, which have been mediating between the sides for most of the war, are facilitating the latest talks. Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for Qatar's Foreign Ministry, said Monday's talks went on for around four hours.

Israel's delegation included Gal Hirsch, coordinator for the hostages and the missing from Netanyahu's office. Hamas representatives included top negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Monday that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were on hand to take part in the talks.

She did not comment on a specific deadline for concluding them, but said it is important “that we get this done quickly.”

Part of the plan is to surge humanitarian aid into Gaza, where more than 2 million Palestinians are facing hunger and, in some areas, famine.

_____

Rising reported from Bangkok. Melanie Lidman in Reim, Israel; Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel; Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed.

___

Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war