US President Donald Trump on Sunday praised the progress achieved in Gaza talks, urging negotiators to “move fast.”
Negotiating teams from Hamas and Israel are gathering in Egypt, alongside US and Qatari representatives, to discuss the technical details of Trump’s peace plan after the Palestinian movement accepted terms of the proposal.
Positive Talks
In a post on Truth Social, Trump signaled positive progress in negotiations to end the war in Gaza as negotiators are convening for talks in Egypt’s Sharm Al-Sheikh on Sunday and Monday.
“There have been very positive discussions with Hamas, and Countries from all over the World (Arab, Muslim, and everyone else) this weekend, to release the Hostages, end the War in Gaza but, more importantly, finally have long sought PEACE in the Middle East. These talks have been very successful, and proceeding rapidly,” he wrote.
The US President urged negotiating teams to move forward fast. “The technical teams will again meet Monday, in Egypt, to work through and clarify the final details. I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST,” Trump said.
Gaza Peace Negotiations
A Hamas delegation, led by Khalil Al-Hayya, arrived in Egypt late on Sunday to engage in talks with US and Qatari representatives over the implementation of Trump’s plan for ending the war in Gaza, reported Reuters.
Meanwhile, the Strategic Affairs Minister, Ron Dermer, will arrive in Egypt on Monday, leading the Israeli negotiating team.
The talks aim to “discuss the provision of field conditions and the details of the process of exchanging all Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, in accordance with the proposal of US President Donald Trump,” the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
An official briefed on the matter told Reuters that the negotiations in Egypt will focus on working out a comprehensive deal before proceeding with a ceasefire.
“This differs from earlier rounds of negotiations which followed a phased approach, where the first phase was agreed and then required more negotiations to reach subsequent phases in the ceasefire,” the official said.
The US Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Qatari Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, will also attend the discussions, according to BBC.
Time Factor
In his social media post on Sunday, Trump warned of any delays in implementing the peace plan. “Time is of the essence or, massive bloodshed will follow — something that nobody wants to see!” he wrote.
Earlier, Trump told reporters that he expected release of the hostages “very soon.” Moreover, he added that “we don’t need flexibility” over his peace plan “because everybody has pretty much agreed to it, but there will always be some changes.”
Similarly, the US State Secretary, Marco Rubio, told ABC’s “This Week” that the agreement has to be finalized fast. “Talks cannot take weeks or even multiple days. We want to see this happen very fast,” Rubio said.
Trump’s Plan for Gaza
Trump’s 20-point peace plan proposes an immediate end to Israeli military operations in Gaza, the release of the remaining hostages within 72 hours, and the demilitarization of Hamas. It also calls for an international transitional body to run the enclave and leaves the door open for an eventual Palestinian State.
On Friday, Hamas responded positively to Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, agreeing to the release of all hostages and handing over the administration of the Strip to an independent Palestinian body, while insisting it should have a say in the enclave’s future.
Trump welcomed their statement, saying that Hamas is “ready for a lasting PEACE.” However, the US President warned later that the Palestinian group faces “complete obliteration” if it insists on staying in power in Gaza, he told CNN.
On Saturday, Trump said that Israel agreed to an initial withdrawal line in Gaza, adding that when Hamas confirms, “the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange will begin, and we will create the conditions for the next phase of withdrawal.”
Israeli Bombing Continues
Israeli planes and tanks continued to bomb areas across Gaza on Sunday, killing at least 19 people, Reuters reported citing local health authorities. The Israeli bombardment on Saturday until midday Sunday killed at least 65 people, BBC reported.
In the light of this, Rubio told CBS News that Israel needs to halt bombing to facilitate hostage release. “You can’t release hostages while there’s still bombardments going on… that has to stop, but you also have to work through the other logistics,” he said.
The war in Gaza, which broke out on October 7, 2023, has so far killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
