The new round of Gaza ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel continued on the 7th in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The Hamas side put forward two major demands: first, that Israel must permanently end its occupation of Gaza, which must be guaranteed by the international community; second, that the release of detained Israelis must be directly linked to the timeline for Israel's complete withdrawal of troops.
Hamas chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya said in an interview with Egypt's Al-Qahera News TV on the same day that the Hamas delegation's goal in coming to Egypt is clear, which is to immediately and permanently stop this conflict and reach an agreement on a prisoner exchange. Hamas is "willing to take all responsibility" to stop the war, but "Israel continues the killing and genocide."
Al-Hayya stated that in the two years since the outbreak of the current round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Israel has twice violated its ceasefire commitments in Gaza, making it difficult for Hamas to trust the other side. Israel must permanently end its occupation of Gaza, and this must be guaranteed with "genuine assurance" from the United States and regional countries mediating the ceasefire.
In addition, a Hamas source told the media that the second day of talks mainly discussed the Israeli withdrawal map as well as the mechanisms and timetable for a prisoner exchange agreement. The Hamas delegation demanded the release of detained Israelis be "directly linked" to the timetable for Israel’s complete withdrawal from Gaza, and emphasized that Hamas insists the time of release of the last prisoner should coincide with the completion of Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.
An Egyptian security source said that the talks that day also discussed the issue of transferring governance rights for Gaza. On Gaza’s future governance, Hamas rejected any deployment of foreign troops to Gaza, but welcomed coordination between Arab countries and the Palestinian Authority. Hamas made it clear that it opposes the proposal for former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to be responsible for supervising Gaza’s future governance according to the U.S.-proposed “20-point plan.”
According to Egypt's Al-Qahera News TV, Hamas confirmed its willingness to release all surviving detainees and hand over the remains of the deceased, reiterating its demand that Israel release Marwan Barghouti, leader of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah); Ahmad Sa'adat, Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; and senior Hamas military figure Ibrahim Hamed, among others.
Hamas and Israel began a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks in Sharm el-Sheikh on the 6th. The negotiations are being conducted indirectly, with Egypt, Qatar, and the United States mediating.