Trump urges mediators to 'move fast' as key Gaza peace talks set to begin
President Trump calls for expedited Gaza peace talks in Egypt, urging end to strikes and quick hostage release amid ongoing conflict.
US President Donald Trump urged negotiators to “move fast” as indirect peace talks between Hamas and Israel begin in Cairo on Monday. The discussions follow parts of a 20-point US plan accepted by Hamas, including freeing hostages and transferring Gaza governance to independent technocrats.
Hamas omitted key US demands to disarm and renounce future governance roles. Writing on social media, Trump said the first phase should “be completed this week” and warned that “time is of the essence or massive bloodshed will follow.” He added he expects hostage releases “very soon.”
Despite Trump’s request for an “immediate stop” to bombing, Israeli air strikes continued in Gaza. Government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said certain strikes had paused but no formal ceasefire existed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorised defensive fire “if there is a threat” on the Gaza battlefield.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reported 65 deaths from Israeli operations in the 24 hours to midday Sunday. INLIBER's correspondent near the border in Kibbutz Be'eri heard explosions and saw smoke plumes from Gaza City.
US and international mediation
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS that bombing must stop to secure a hostage release. The 20-point plan calls for an immediate ceasefire and the swap of 48 hostages—20 believed alive—for hundreds of detained Gazans. Netanyahu said he aims to announce releases “in the coming days” under talks limited to a few days.
Hamas negotiators, including chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, arrived in Cairo alongside US envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and Qatar’s foreign minister. Mediators from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey pushed Hamas to drop traditional “red lines” on weapons and governance.
Challenges ahead
Analysts warn that delays mean more casualties and displacement. Hamas’s decision to negotiate without preconditions may reflect dwindling leverage after nearly two years of conflict.
Trump published a withdrawal map excluding nearly 900,000 Palestinians from returning initially. The proposed lines carve out areas in Rafah, Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia, Gaza City, Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah. Hamas rejected a similar map in March and May.
The war began after Hamas’s 7 October attack killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 251 hostages. Gaza’s health ministry reports over 67,000 deaths from Israeli operations.
Negotiators hope rapid talks in Egypt can break the stalemate and pave the way for a ceasefire despite deep mistrust and ongoing violence.
This topic was reported by BBC News.
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