Officials from Israel and Hamas are gathering in an Egyptian resort on Monday, October 6, 2025, with the urgent goal of negotiating a potential ceasefire in Gaza. These discussions coincide with the grim two-year mark of the ongoing conflict.
These indirect negotiations are slated for the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. The Israeli delegation, led by chief negotiator Ron Dermer, is expected to arrive on Monday, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
Hamas’s delegation, headed by Khalil al-Hayyah, confirmed its arrival in Egypt on Sunday, as stated by the group.
The negotiations, as reported, will primarily address the initial phase of a ceasefire. Key objectives include a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces and the release of hostages held by militants in Gaza, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners currently in Israeli custody.
Reports from Egypt’s state-run Al-Ahram indicate that U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are also anticipated to participate in these discussions.
This renewed drive for peace gained momentum after Hamas indicated acceptance of certain aspects of the U.S. peace plan, a development welcomed by Mr. Trump. Israel has also expressed its support for this new American initiative. The proposed plan outlines Hamas releasing the remaining 48 hostages, with approximately 20 believed to still be alive, within a three-day period. In return, Hamas would relinquish power and disarm.
While Prime Minister Netanyahu has expressed expectations for swift progress, stating the talks would be “confined to a few days maximum,” some Hamas officials have cautioned that additional time might be necessary to locate the remains of hostages buried beneath the rubble.
Easing the Bombardment
A crucial condition for the release of Israeli hostages is a cessation of Israel’s intensive bombardment of Gaza. Israel asserts it is largely complying with calls to de-escalate the bombing, claiming its military operations are primarily defensive strikes aimed at protecting its forces. However, dozens of Palestinians have reportedly been killed since Saturday night, when this announcement was made.
The Israeli military reported on Monday, October 6, that it successfully neutralized “a terrorist cell armed with explosive devices and mortars” which had reportedly intended to attack Israeli soldiers on Sunday.
Furthermore, the military stated it destroyed another “terrorist cell” responsible for launching a mortar, which resulted in injury to one soldier. They also targeted a structure from which an anti-tank missile was fired at Israeli army engineering equipment.
The war was ignited by the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas-led militants, who abducted 251 individuals and killed approximately 1,200, predominantly civilians. The majority of these hostages have since been released through previous ceasefire agreements or other arrangements.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the Palestinian death toll in the conflict had climbed to 67,139 by Sunday, with nearly 170,000 injured. The ministry’s figures, which do not distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties but indicate that women and children constitute roughly half of the fatalities, are considered the most credible wartime casualty estimates by the UN and numerous independent experts, despite the ministry operating under the Hamas-run government.
Life Under Siege: Fear, War, and Displacement
In Gaza, babies born on the very day the war erupted are now approaching their second birthdays, yearning for celebrations filled with laughter and joy, rather than the terrifying sounds of bombs, missiles, and gunfire that have defined their young lives.
For mothers in Gaza, the dream of raising their children in a semblance of normalcy—a reality many elsewhere take for granted—has dwindled. This hope has been eroded by the profound despair of constant displacements, an unceasing fear for their safety, and a critical lack of access to adequate healthcare.
Rola Saqer recounted the past two years since her daughter Masa’s birth as a period marked by profound suffering and misery.
“I had hoped Masa would grow into a strong individual, but she is frail. She has endured malnutrition, and her weight has remained at eight kilograms for five months,” shared Rola, who was displaced from Beit Lahia, a town in northern Gaza.
Rola and her husband, Mohammed Zaqout, had been trying to conceive a child for five years before Masa’s birth.
“I live in fear for my daughter. She is only two years old and has known nothing but fear, war, and displacement,” Saqer expressed. Their meager belongings in their Nuseirat refugee camp tent—hanging laundry, a plastic chair, a carpet, and a simple settee—underscore their harsh reality.
Amal al-Taweel and her husband, Mostafa, welcomed their son Ali after three years of trying to start a family. Now residing in a tent within an alley of UNRWA schools, Amal lamented that Ali is being deprived of essential sanitation, adequate food, necessary vaccinations, and even simple toys.
“I feel immense despair because I cannot provide my son with everything he needs. I had envisioned a vastly different life for him… He has never known his own home or his room. He hasn’t experienced the feeling of a safe family life. Instead, there are constant strikes, widespread destruction, and endless displacement,” Amal tearfully concluded.