Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel held a new round of Gaza ceasefire political talks in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh on local time October 8. The international community has called on both sides to seize the opportunity to advance negotiations and achieve a ceasefire, yet most latest analyses regard the talks as “difficult and complex”. On the same day, Qatar’s Prime Minister and a Turkish delegation joined the negotiations, with U.S. Middle East Envoy Wittkopf and Trump’s son-in-law Kushner expected to participate later. The talks come as the large-scale conflict between Hamas and Israel enters its second year, which has caused an unprecedented humanitarian disaster in Gaza and kept the Middle East in constant turmoil. On October 7, UN Secretary-General Guterres posted on social media, calling for a “just and lasting peace” to enable Israelis, Palestinians and all people in the region to “coexist in security and mutual respect”.
Hamas Puts Forward Two Core Demands
According to an October 8 report by AFP, the new round of ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel in the Egyptian Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh entered its third day. The two sides discussed specific implementation details of the ceasefire and the release of detained personnel, with Egypt and Qatar acting as mediators for indirect negotiations. Hamas’ chief negotiator Haniyeh stated on the same day that the group needs “practical guarantees” to ensure a lasting ceasefire. Earlier, Hamas announced its conditional acceptance of the 20-point Gaza peace proposal put forward by U.S. President Trump.
Reports indicate that the Hamas delegation mainly put forward two demands during the October 7 negotiations. First, Israel must permanently end its occupation of the Gaza Strip, and this must be guaranteed by the international community. Second, the release of the remaining detained Israelis should be linked to the timeline of Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza. Hamas spokesperson Barhoum warned on the same day that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu might try to “obstruct and disrupt the current negotiations, just as he deliberately did in previous rounds”.
Meanwhile, Elkin, a member of Israel’s Security Cabinet, emphasized in an interview with Israeli media on October 8 that the disarmament of Hamas is “crucial” to the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Netanyahu had previously threatened that Israel “may use military means to disarm Hamas”.
On October 8, Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque area in the Old City of Jerusalem. His office stated that he went to the “conflict flashpoint” to pray for “victory in the war, the destruction of Hamas, and the return of detained personnel”. In response, Hamas issued a statement on the same day, noting that October 8 marks the 35th anniversary of the 1990 Al-Aqsa Mosque massacre, and Ben-Gvir’s act is a “deliberately sent signal of aggression”. The statement stressed that Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque are “insurmountable red lines”, and the Palestinian people will uphold their “oath” and “defend their rights and the dignity of the holy sites by all means”. During previous rounds of Gaza ceasefire talks, Ben-Gvir also entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque area in a high-profile manner in an attempt to disrupt the negotiations, drawing condemnation from Arab countries, the UN, the EU and other parties.
Next 48 Hours “Crucial” for Talks
According to Qatar’s Al Jazeera, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed joined the Gaza ceasefire talks in Egypt on October 8. Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ansari posted a statement on social media, saying that the Qatari Prime Minister’s participation comes as the talks are “in a critical stage”, reflecting the mediator’s “firm determination to reach an agreement and end the catastrophic war in the Gaza Strip”. Turkey’s Anadolu Agency reported that a Turkish delegation led by the head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Agency Kalin also joined the negotiations on October 8.
The New York Times reported on October 8 that U.S. Middle East Envoy Wittkopf and Trump’s son-in-law Kushner will also join the talks. The two are considered the designers of Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, and their participation means “progress may be made in the negotiations”.
According to an AP report, Trump told reporters at the White House on October 7 while meeting with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Carney that U.S. representatives are participating in the Gaza ceasefire talks. “We are very close to reaching an agreement on the Middle East issue, which will bring peace to the Middle East, not just limited to Gaza,” he said. He emphasized that the U.S. will “do everything possible to ensure all parties abide by the agreement”. On the same day, when meeting with a U.S.-Israeli youth who was once detained by Hamas, Trump also stated that the next 48 hours are “crucial” for Israel and Palestine to reach an agreement.
Humanitarian Crisis Worsens in Gaza
AFP reported on October 8 that the current round of ceasefire talks coincides with the second anniversary of the outbreak of large-scale conflict in Gaza. Over the past two years, most areas of Gaza have been reduced to rubble. The UN has declared that famine is spreading in Gaza, and the families of Israeli hostages are still waiting for their loved ones to return. The UN has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, and the international community has called for an immediate ceasefire.
According to an October 8 report by Al Jazeera, although the Gaza ceasefire talks entered their third day, loud explosions were heard from time to time in Gaza City as Israeli forces continued to bomb the area.
Data released by the Gaza Strip’s health department on October 7 shows that over the past two years since the new round of
Reuters reported on October 8 that Israel’s continued offensive in Gaza has intensified its international isolation. On October 7, people took to the streets in Sydney, Istanbul, London, Washington, New York, Paris, Geneva, Athens and other cities around the world to hold protests in solidarity with Palestinians and the victims in Gaza.
The Wall Street Journal reported on October 8 that Israel is becoming increasingly isolated in the international community and faces the risk of losing the support of Western allies. The report quoted Islamic scholar Abu Sada as saying that over the past two years, the Palestinian people have “paid a very high price, but the resistance has not been in vain. The Palestinian issue has once again become a central topic internationally, whereas it was almost forgotten two years ago”.
