Egypt hosts crucial negotiations to end the war and free hostages.

CAIRO, Egypt – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk) – On Monday, officials from Israel, the US, and Hamas will meet in Egypt. They are gathering in the city of Sharm El-Sheikh to try and make a deal. This meeting happens just before the two-year mark since the conflict began.

A proposed plan from the US to stop the fighting is getting good responses. The deal would see Gazan prisoners released in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails. A top Hamas official said they are “very keen” to agree to end the war and start the swap. Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu said he hopes to see hostages freed soon.

The US confirmed that talks are moving “rapidly” and asked all sides to “move fast.” To help, the US has sent two trusted advisors to help finish the deal. Both the Hamas and Israeli teams have arrived or are on their way to Egypt.

After many months of failed talks, there is new hope. Foreign leaders called these new discussions a “real opportunity” for a lasting ceasefire. Ahead of the meeting, the US asked Israel to stop its bombings, noting it’s hard to free people during an attack. On Sunday, Israeli strikes reportedly killed at least 20 people in Gaza.

Egypt says the talks will focus on the details for a full prisoner exchange. A source close to Hamas said their fighters will stop once Israel does. The US plan calls for a 72-hour period to free all hostages, both living and dead.

PM Shehbaz Hails New Era of Pakistan-Malaysia Cooperation

From the October 7th attack, 47 hostages are believed to still be in Gaza; Israel says 25 of them are dead. In return, Israel would free about 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and over 1,700 detainees from Gaza.

The next steps would involve Israel slowly pulling its troops out of Gaza. A major point is that Hamas would have to give up its weapons, which they have refused to do before. The US plan also states that Hamas cannot have any role in governing Gaza after the war. Instead, a team of experts would run the area, overseen by a temporary authority led by the US.