Hamas has said that it has given Israel a list of Palestinian prisoners it wants to be released in return for the freeing of hostages in Gaza.
Tahir Al-Nono, the group’s political media advisor, said that “a spirit of optimism is prevailing” surrounding the ongoing negotiations for a peace deal that continue today in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt.
“The negotiations have focused on the mechanisms for implementing the end of the war, the withdrawal of the occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, and the prisoner exchange,” Al-Nono said in a statement published Wednesday.
The talks are taking place a day after the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, which was marked by commemorative events and protests in several countries.
Per President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan, all remaining hostages in Gaza are to be released. There are thought to be 48 hostages still being held within the Palestinian territory, of whom 20 are thought to be alive. In exchange, Israel will release 250 Palestinians serving life sentences, plus another 1,700 Gazans detained after October 7, 2023.
World leaders including Trump have also expressed their optimism for the ongoing talks, which are being held indirectly between Hamas and Israeli negotiators.
“I think there is a possibility we could have peace in the Middle East, even beyond the Gaza situation,” said Trump at the White House on Tuesday, adding: “We are very close to making a deal in the Middle East,” in regards to the ongoing negotiations.
A U.S. delegation, including Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, arrived in Egypt Wednesday to join the talks. Egyptian President Abdeh Fattah al-Sisi added to the fragile optimism by saying he has heard “very encouraging things” surrounding the negotiations taking place in his country.
Turkey is also looking to further encourage the negotiations. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday he has been in touch with Hamas to explain the best approach to achieve a future Palestinian state, according to Reuters, but warned that the burden of achieving a deal should not be placed solely on the Palestinians.
“Peace is not a bird with a single wing,” he told reporters after a trip to Azerbaijan. Erdoğan said that Turkish officials were involved in the negotiations, after being requested by Trump to convince Hamas to accept his 20-point proposal.
Hamas disarmament and exclusion from any future governance in Gaza are key aspects of the peace plan, while the question of a future Palestinian state and its recognition from the U.S. and Israel remains unclear.
Both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have condemned the decision by a number of western countries recently to recognise Palestinian statehood.
“As if to encourage continued conflict, some of this body is seeking to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state,” said Trump during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in September. “The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists for their atrocities. This would be a reward for these horrible atrocities, including October 7,” he continued.
Netanyahu reiterated Trump’s view during his own speech at the U.N. in New York days later.
“When the most savage terrorists on Earth are exclusively praising your decision, you didn’t do something right, you did something wrong, horribly wrong,” he said. “Your disgraceful decision will encourage terrorism against Jews and against innocent people everywhere. It will be a mark of shame on all of you.”
The Israeli Prime Minister has also received calls from within his cabinet to “allow a complete victory in Gaza.”
In a provocative move, far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was in Jerusalem on Wednesday, pictured within the grounds of the Temple Mount and Al-Aqsa mosque, a site of great religious importance in both Islam and Judaism.
“We are the masters of the Temple Mount. I only pray that our Prime Minister will allow a complete victory in Gaza as well – to destroy Hamas, with God’s help to bring back the hostages, and we will achieve a total victory,” said Ben-Gvir.
Despite growing optimism for the success of ongoing peace talks, Israel has continued its military activity in Gaza, even after Trump last week called for an “immediate” halt to bombing. The latest daily statistics from Gaza’s Health Ministry published on Monday say that 21 people were killed in the previous 24 hour period.
As of October 7, over 67,000 Palestinians have been killed over the last two years according to the ministry. Israel launched its invasion of Gaza following a Hamas terror attack on Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages.
In the absence of independent monitoring on the ground, the ministry is the primary source for casualty data relied upon by humanitarian groups, journalists, and international bodies. Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified by TIME. The Israeli army’s own casualty figures suggest a Palestinian civilian death rate of 83%.
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