Negotiators due in Cairo for Gaza ceasefire talks

ISRAELI and Hamas negotiators were converging on Cairo yesterday for talks to end nearly two years of war in Gaza, with Israel’s leader expressing hope that hostages held in the devastated territory could be released within days.

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The diplomatic push follows Palestinian militant group Hamas’ positive response to US President Donald Trump’ roadmap for the release of captives in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the weekend he had instructed negotiators to go to Egypt “to finalise the technical details’, while Cairo confirmed it would also be hosting a delegation from Hamas for talks on “the ground conditions and details of the exchange of all Israeli detainees and Palestinian prisoners”.

Egyptian state-linked media said the warring parties would hold indirect talks on Sunday and Monday, just before the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war.

The White House said Trump had sent two envoys to Egypt — his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East negotiator Steve Witkoff.

The US president warned he would “not tolerate delay” from Hamas, urging the Islamist group to move quickly towards a deal “or else all bets will be off”.