Indirect talks in Egypt between Israel and Hamas have been "positive" so far, as the world marks the second anniversary of one of the longest ongoing conflicts.
At least 67,160 Palestinians have been killed and 169,679 wounded since October 7, 2023.
The conflict has sparked a man-made humanitarian crisis that continues to spiral, causing two long years of devastation, displacement, and unrelenting hunger across Gaza.
According to agencies, the suffering is immense: At least 1.9 million people across the Gaza Strip—about 90% of the population—have been forced from their homes, according to the United Nations. But beyond these staggering numbers, the crisis is felt one community and family at a time. Some families have been displaced over and over again. Some have had to rebuild and find shelter 10 times or more.
“Food and water remain a constant struggle everywhere,” said Osama. “From the difficulty of purchasing to the effort of cooking without proper fuel to the lack of variety, the meals we manage to prepare are poor in quality, lacking both nutrition and value,” said the Mercy Corps, a global team of humanitarians.
At least 132,000 children younger than five are at risk of death from acute malnutrition, more than double the number estimated earlier in May, according to IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification), a leading agency analyzing food security. Deaths from starvation and preventable disease are now everyday realities, with children at greatest risk.
Around 98% of cropland in the Gaza Strip is either damaged, inaccessible, or both. Livestock has been decimated, and fishing activities are banned. Skyrocketing prices have put even the little food available out of reach for most families.
Talks
Discussions set to resume around midday."The talks were positive last night, with the first round lasting four hours," one of the sources said.
"The indirect negotiations are scheduled to resume at midday," he added. Another Palestinian source confirmed the talks would resume in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh on Tuesday.
The indirect talks mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt are likely to focus on two aspects of Trump’s 20-point proposal - exchanging Israeli-held Palestinians for hostages, and an Israeli pullback from parts of Gaza.
Israel says that about 20 hostages are still alive in Gaza, and also seeks the remains of about 25 others.
Under that plan, the hostages will be exchanged for 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 Palestinians from Gaza who were jailed by Israel during the war. For every hostage whose remains are released, Israel will also release the remains of 15 Palestinians from Gaza.
While the plan calls for the release of the hostages within 72 hours of Israel agreeing to it, that would be logistically difficult, experts say. And the two sides have yet to agree on which Palestinian prisoners will be released.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a White House briefing Monday that the teams were in Egypt to discuss that exchange. “All sides of this conflict agree that this war needs to end,” she said, “and agree to the 20-point framework that President Trump proposed.” The talks, she added, were an “incredible achievement.”
On Friday, Hamas said it was willing to release the hostages. But Hamas has not addressed major points in the U.S. peace plan, among them demands that it has objected to in the past. The proposal, for example, calls on the group to disarm and for it to have no role in the governance of Gaza — both key Israeli positions that Hamas has long rejected.
Questions also remain about the withdrawal of Israeli forces from positions in Gaza.
In a social media post Saturday, Trump said Israel had already agreed to an initial withdrawal line within Gaza for the first phase of the deal.
“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,” he pledged.
But Hamas may still seek to negotiate those lines.
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