Hamas urges quick hostage swap as Cairo talks loom

Hamas on Sunday called for an immediate start to a hostage-prisoner exchange with Israel as negotiators from both sides gathered in Egypt for critical talks to end the nearly two-year Gaza war.

Foreign ministers from several countries, including Egypt, described the discussions as a "real opportunity" for a sustainable ceasefire.

"Hamas is very keen to reach an agreement to end the war and immediately begin the prisoner exchange process in accordance with the field conditions," a senior Hamas official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The push follows Hamas's positive response to US President Donald Trump's roadmap for halting the fighting and releasing captives in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Israel on Sunday to stop bombing Gaza ahead of the Cairo discussions.

"You can't release hostages in the middle of strikes, so the strikes will have to stop," Rubio told CBS.

"There can't be a war going on in the middle of it."

Negotiators head to Sharm El-Sheikh

Negotiators are due to convene in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing hope that the hostages could be freed within days.

He said the Israeli delegation would depart for Egypt on Monday for talks set to begin on the eve of the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that ignited the conflict.

Cairo confirmed it would host a Hamas delegation for discussions on "the ground conditions and details of the exchange of all Israeli detainees and Palestinian prisoners".

The White House said Trump had dispatched two envoys to Egypt on Saturday – his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East negotiator Steve Witkoff.

"During communications with mediators, Hamas insisted that it is essential for Israel to halt military operations across all areas of the Gaza Strip, cease all air, reconnaissance, and drone activity, and withdraw from inside Gaza City," a Palestinian source close to Hamas said, adding the group would "also halt their military operations" in parallel.

Hostage numbers and Trump's plan

Militants seized 251 hostages during the October 7 attack, 47 of whom are still in Gaza. Of those, the Israeli military says 25 are dead.

Under Trump's plan, Israel is expected to release 250 Palestinian prisoners with life sentences and more than 1,700 detainees from the Gaza Strip arrested during the war in return for the hostages.

Strikes continue

Trump has warned he will "not tolerate delay" from Hamas, urging the group to move quickly towards a deal "or else all bets will be off".

"When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange will begin, and we will create the conditions for the next phase of withdrawal," he posted on Truth Social.

Noting that the "operational situation has changed", Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir warned Sunday that if the negotiations failed, the military would "return to fighting" in Gaza.

Israel has continued strikes. AFPTV footage showed thick smoke over Gaza's skyline Sunday.

Gaza's civil defence agency, operating under Hamas authority, said Israeli attacks killed at least 20 people across the territory Sunday, 13 in Gaza City.

"There has been a noticeable decrease in the number of air strikes since last night. The tanks and military vehicles have slightly pulled back, but I believe this is a tactical move, not a withdrawal," said Muin Abu Rajab, 40, a resident of the city's Al-Rimal neighbourhood.

No role for Hamas

Hamas has insisted it should have a say in the territory's future, though Trump's roadmap stipulates that it and other factions "not have any role in the governance of Gaza".

The US plan, endorsed by Netanyahu, calls for a halt to hostilities, hostage release within 72 hours, gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and Hamas's disarmament – something the group has frequently described as a red line.

Under the proposal, Gaza's administration would fall to a technocratic body overseen by a post-war transitional authority headed by Trump.

"We hope Trump will pressure Netanyahu and force him to stop the war," said Ahmad Barbakh, a resident of Al-Mawasi.

"We want the prisoner exchange deal completed quickly so Israel has no excuse to continue the war."

Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack resulted in 1,219 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 67,139 Palestinians, according to health ministry figures in the Hamas-run territory that the UN considers reliable.