Hamas says serious about deal, but conditions remain

Hamas said on Tuesday that it wants to reach a deal to end the war in Gaza based on US President Trump's plan but still has a set of demands, a statement signalling that indirect talks with Israel in Egypt could be difficult and lengthy.

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Senior Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum set out Hamas' position on the second anniversary of the Palestinian group's attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, and one day after the indirect negotiations began in Sharm El Sheikh.

The talks appear the most promising yet for ending a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastated Gaza since the Oct.7, 2023 attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken back to Gaza as hostages.

But officials on all sides urged caution over the prospects for a rapid agreement, as Israelis remembered the bloodiest single day for Jews since the Holocaust and Gazans voiced hope for an end to the suffering brought by two years of war.

"The (Hamas) movement's delegation participating in the current negotiations in Egypt is working to overcome all obstacles to reaching an agreement that meets the aspirations of our people in Gaza," Barhoum said in a televised statement.