Hamas announced Wednesday that it has exchanged lists of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners for a potential swap and expressed optimism about ongoing talks in Egypt on President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza.
Negotiations, to be attended by senior foreign political and intelligence officials, are focused on the mechanisms to halt the conflict, withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the swap deal, the Palestinian resistance group added.
One of the biggest sticking points will be pressure on Hamas to disarm, an issue it has so far been unwilling to discuss at the talks, according to a Palestinian source close to the negotiations.
The timing of the implementation of the first phase of President Donald Trump's 20-point initiative has not been agreed so far during talks in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, the Palestinian source said.
Trump expressed optimism about progress toward a deal Tuesday, the second anniversary of Hamas' attack on Israel that triggered Israel's assault on Gaza.
