Hamas ‘very keen’ to reach deal as talks begin in Sharm el-Sheikh

PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES/WASHINGTON: A senior Hamas official on Sunday said the Palestinian group is eager to reach an agreement to end the Gaza war and implement a prisoner swap with Israel, as negotiators converge in Egypt for talks.

On the other hand, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Rubio said Sunday that Israel needs to stop bombing Gaza for an eventual captive release by Hamas to take place.

“I think the Israelis and everyone acknowledge you can’t release hostages in the middle of strikes, so the strikes will have to stop,” Rubio said in a TV interview. “There can’t be a war going on in the middle of it.”

However, Rubio said he hopes a deal between Israel and Hamas can be finalised early this week to allow the release of hostages from Gaza.

“All those talks are occurring, even as I speak to you now, we’re hoping it will be finalised very quickly, early this week,” Rubio added.

WAR NOT OVER YET

“And I’m hoping, you know again, who knows the timeline? But this cannot take weeks or even multiple days. We want to see this happen very fast.”

However, Rubio said the war in Gaza has not yet ended despite Israel and Hamas both agreeing to parts of President Donald Trump’s plan for the strip.

“We will know very quickly whether Hamas is serious or not by how these technical talks go in terms of the logistics,” Rubio said about the release of hostages from Gaza.

IRONING OUT DETAILS

Israeli and Hamas negotiators are set to iron out details during talks in Egypt in a bid to end nearly two years of war in Gaza, after Hamas approved a Gaza peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump.

Hamas negotiators travelling from Doha are expected to arrive in Cairo on Sunday before heading to Sharm el-Sheikh to participate in indirect negotiations with the Israeli delegation, the official said on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak on the matter.

“Hamas is very keen to reach an agreement to end the war and immediately begin the prisoner exchange process in accordance with the field conditions,” he said.

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“The occupation must not obstruct the implementation of President Trump’s plan. If the occupation has genuine intentions to reach an agreement, Hamas is ready.”

AWAY FROM CAMERAS

A Palestinian source close to Hamas told AFP that the two delegations would be in the same building but away from media coverage.

“The negotiations aim to discuss the timeline for preparing field conditions for the transfer of captives held in Gaza, as a prelude to launching the prisoner exchange process,” he added.

“During communications with mediators, Hamas insisted that it is essential for Israel to halt military operations across all areas of the Gaza Strip, cease all air, reconnaissance, and drone activity, and withdraw from inside Gaza City,” the source said.

“In parallel with the cessation of Israeli military activity, Hamas and the resistance factions will also halt their military operations and actions,” he added.

The talks are also expected to include discussions of maps to be provided by Israel showing withdrawal routes and timelines, which will coincide with the prisoner exchange process, the source said.

He also said that the Hamas delegation will also present lists of Palestinian prisoners who must be released by Israel in return for the Israeli captives.

According to Trump’s plan, Israel is expected to release 250 Palestinian prisoners with life sentences and more than 1,700 detainees from the Gaza Strip who were arrested after October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, triggering the ongoing war.