Egypt reports 'significant progress' in Gaza ceasefire negotiations

By Amer Solyman and Betul Yilmaz

CAIRO/ISTANBUL (AA) - Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Tuesday that as part of the Gaza ceasefire negotiations, discussions are underway on establishing a mechanism to ensure complete Israeli withdrawal and full access to humanitarian aid.

Speaking in a press conference with his Slovenian counterpart, Abdelatty expressed hope that the current round of negotiations would conclude with an end to the war and famine in Gaza, noting that “significant progress has been made.”

Indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas began on Monday in Egypt’s Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan.

The Egyptian minister added that current discussions in Sharm el-Sheikh are focusing on the establishment of a mechanism that will guarantee a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and unconditional entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave via UN channels.

He stressed that the negotiations seek to consolidate the path of just peace based on the two-state solution and full unity between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

The top diplomat welcomed Trump’s initiative, calling for launching a political process based on the current momentum that will lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

On Sept. 29, Trump unveiled a 20-point proposal that includes the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas, and the rebuilding of Gaza. Hamas agreed to the plan in principle.

According to Egypt’s state-run Al-Qahera New, the first day of the negotiations concluded in a positive atmosphere.

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported “optimism” both in Israel and the US, noting that it seems possible to reach an agreement by Sunday.

The Israeli military has killed over 67,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave all but uninhabitable and has led to mass displacement, starvation, and the proliferation of disease.