Children look on from a hole behind the canvas of a tent at a camp for people displaced by war in northern Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip . AFP
Hamas senior official Tahir al-Nunu said the discussions had focused on “mechanisms for ending the war, the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, and the exchange of prisoners.”
“Hamas’s delegation showed the necessary positivity and responsibility to achieve the required progress and complete the agreement,” al-Nunu said, adding that mediators were “making great efforts to remove any obstacles to implementing the steps for a ceasefire.”
He described the atmosphere as “increasingly optimistic,” saying the talks would continue through Wednesday “with the participation of all parties and mediators.”
A senior Islamic Jihad official told Al Jazeera that factional delegations from the Islamic Jihad Movement and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) would join the ongoing negotiations in Sharm El-Sheikh.
“The factional delegations from the movement and the PFLP have joined the Sharm El-Sheikh talks,” the official said. “The delegation of the factions is committed to reaching an agreement that ends the suffering of our people and halts the genocide.”
He added that “the factions will remain faithful to our people’s priorities, ending the war and ensuring the complete withdrawal from Gaza.”
The official emphasized that “the participation of the factions alongside Hamas in the negotiations is a national Palestinian demand and has been welcomed by the mediators.”
A senior Hamas official also confirmed that Hamas had requested the inclusion of representatives from Islamic Jihad and the PFLP in the negotiating team in Sharm El-Sheikh.
The negotiations, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States, are centred on a 20-point plan proposed by US President Donald Trump last month to end the two-year war in Gaza.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are among those expected to join the talks.
In Washington, Trump said on Tuesday that the United States saw “a real chance” to secure peace. “There’s a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East, something even beyond the Gaza situation,” he told reporters, adding that Washington wanted “an immediate release of the hostages” and would “do everything possible to make sure everyone adheres to the deal.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Trump had asked Ankara to help persuade Hamas to accept the plan on Wednesday.
“During our visit to the United States and in our most recent call, we explained to Mr. Trump how a solution could be achieved in Palestine,” Erdogan told reporters late Tuesday. “Hamas responded by telling us that it is ready for peace and negotiations. In other words, it did not take a contrary stance. I consider this a very valuable step. Hamas is ahead of Israel.”
He confirmed that Turkish officials were in Sharm El-Sheikh to assist mediation efforts.
“We have always been in contact with Hamas throughout this process. We are still in contact now. We are explaining what the most reasonable path is and what needs to be done for Palestine to move forward with confidence into the future,” he concluded.
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