Hopes for deal as top US, Qatari and Turkish officials join negotiations

Top US, Qatari and Turkish officials joined the third day of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Egypt as cautious optimism grew that a lasting truce to end the two-year war in Gaza could be on the horizon.

- William Christou

The US Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump, arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh where talks were being held, along with the Qatari prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and the head of Turkish intelligence, Ibrahim Kalin.

The presence of the senior officials from the three countries brought further hope that this round of talks could result in a deal, even as significant gaps remained between the two sides.

The Turkish foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said yesterday that negotiations had made “a lot of headway” and that a ceasefire would be declared if they succeed.

Hamas has said that it is seeking international guarantees that Israel will not resume bombing Gaza after the group releases all of the remaining hostages - its main leverage over Israel.

Israel unilaterally ended a ceasefire in March when it resumed fighting in Gaza and declined to move to a second stage of the ceasefire, which would have led to an end to the war.

Khalil al-Hayya, the leader of the Palestinian negotiation delegation and a senior Hamas official, yesterday said that the group needed firm guarantees from Trump that the war “will not return”.