Ceasefire talks in Egypt spark hope for end to Gaza war

Ceasefire negotiations are underway in Egypt, raising hopes for an end to the war in Gaza.

(NBC)- Ceasefire negotiations are underway in Egypt, raising hopes for an end to the war in Gaza. Delegations from Israel, Hamas, and the United States are meeting to discuss President Donald Trump’s 20-point roadmap for peace — a plan that some analysts call the most promising yet.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “This is the closest we’ve come to getting all of the hostages released.” The proposal calls for an immediate end to hostilities, followed by the release of all Israeli hostages within 72 hours. In return, Israel would free 250 prisoners and 1,700 detainees. The roadmap also outlines Israel’s eventual withdrawal from Gaza — a position Israeli leaders are publicly supporting for the first time.

Mideast expert Barak Ravid told Axios that “there’s a lot of will from every party to reach a deal this week.” But the talks come amid rising global criticism. A U.N. inquiry accuses Israel of committing genocide, and outrage continues after Israel allegedly attempted to assassinate a Hamas ceasefire delegation in Qatar.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani condemned the strike, saying, “Have you ever heard of a neutral country being attacked for hosting peace talks?”

Analysts say President Trump appears ready to leverage U.S. influence to bring an end to the war. Former Defense official Dana Stroul noted, “He’s decided that this war and Israeli military operations need to come to an end.”