CAIRO, Egypt — U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are set to join the renewed Gaza peace negotiations in Cairo, marking a pivotal moment in efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Their arrival on Wednesday follows two days of tense indirect talks that have yet to yield tangible results.
A senior Palestinian official told the BBC that discussions remain “tough and without real breakthrough,” with disagreements persisting over Israeli withdrawal maps from Gaza and Hamas’ demand for guarantees that fighting will not resume after the first phase of any deal.
Trump, addressing reporters on Tuesday, struck an optimistic tone as Israelis marked the second anniversary of the 7 October Hamas-led attacks, saying, “There’s a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East. We’re going to do everything possible to make sure everybody adheres to the deal.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the current period as “fateful days of decision,” vowing on X that Israel would not waver in pursuing its objectives: “the return of all the kidnapped, the elimination of the Hamas regime, and the assurance that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel.”
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, a key mediator, is also expected to attend the Cairo talks, alongside Turkey’s intelligence chief.
A Qatari official told Reuters that Al Thani’s attendance aims at “pushing forward the Gaza ceasefire plan and hostage release agreement.”
According to negotiators, discussions are centered on five key issues:
- achieving a permanent ceasefire;
- exchanging hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners;
- the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza;
- ensuring humanitarian aid delivery; and
- establishing a framework for Gaza’s post-war governance.
Chief Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya told Egypt’s Al Qahera News TV that Hamas was engaging in “serious and responsible negotiations,” adding that the group sought “real guarantees” from Trump and the international community that the war would not restart.
UN Secretary General António Guterres called Trump’s proposed peace framework a “historic opportunity” to end what he described as a “tragic conflict.”
He urged all parties to agree to the deal in a message marking the anniversary of the 7 October attacks, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.
Public sentiment in Israel appears to be shifting, with polls showing that roughly 70 pc of Israelis now favor ending the war in exchange for the release of hostages.
Since Israel launched its military campaign in response to the Hamas assault that killed 1,200 people and abducted 251 others, Gaza’s health ministry reports that more than 67,000 Palestinians, including 18,000 children, have been killed.
The United Nations has described Gaza’s humanitarian conditions as “catastrophic,” with widespread starvation and devastation.
As negotiations resume under heightened international scrutiny, mediators hope that the involvement of Kushner and Witkoff will inject new momentum into one of the most consequential peace efforts in the region’s recent history.
