Gaza ceasefire talks enter third day, as Hamas insists on guarantees from Trump

Gaza ceasefire talks entered a third day in Egypt on Wednesday, as Israel continued its strikes on the enclave and Hamas pushed for guarantees regarding Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip.

Negotiations started on Monday in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, with sources telling local media that they ended in a "positive atmosphere".

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff will all be present at the talks on Wednesday.

Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin will also join the discussions.

A source familiar with the negotiations told The New Arab’s sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, that the Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad is working around the clock with Qatari officials to iron out any obstacles that may stand in the way of an agreement being reached.

The source further confirmed that negotiations are gaining momentum and that Hamas has shown great flexibility in discussions, but also insists on its demands, which include a total ceasefire and the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Khalil al-Hayya, head of Hamas’ negotiating delegation, said on Tuesday that Hamas "wants guarantees from President Trump and the involved countries that the war will end once and for all".

"We have experienced Israeli occupation…the Israeli occupation throughout history has not kept their promises, so we want real guarantees. We are responding positively to attempts to end the war, to see the withdrawal of the occupation and have a prisoner exchange," he told Al-Qahera News.

The latest development comes as Hamas said that a "list of prisoners required to be released" as part of the truce had been handed over during the meeting on Wednesday.

Hamas official Taher al-Nunu issued a statement saying: "The lists of prisoners required to be released were exchanged today according to the agreed-upon criteria and numbers. Indirect negotiations continue today with the participation of all parties and mediators".

The release of the high-profile Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti is reportedly being insisted upon by Hamas in the talks, Egyptian media have said.

Meanwhile, on the ground in Gaza, Palestinians view the talks with cautious optimism, as Israel continues to bombard the enclave and withhold vital aid from reaching vulnerable civilians.

Countless loud explosions took place in Gaza City on Wednesday, where Israel has been levelling entire neighbourhoods for weeks. Tens of thousands of people are still trapped in the city, unable to leave.

Gaza’s government media office also said that their records reveal that the Israeli army is killing two medical personnel and a journalist every three days.

It added that over 200 Palestinians are being wounded every day, while on average, 13 Palestinians are having their limbs amputated due to injuries.

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 67,000 Palestinians since October 2023, according to the Gaza health ministry, and plunged the Strip into a  humanitarian catastrophe. The war is now widely acknowledged as a genocide, with the true death toll believed to be much higher than official figures.