There Is A Positive Atmosphere, Hamas-Gaza Negotiations Continued Today

JAKARTA - Indirect negotiations between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel which resumed on Monday ended in a positive atmosphere and will resume today.

Delegations of Hamas, Israel and mediators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar resumed peace negotiations against the conflict in the Gaza Strip on Monday in Egypt.

Peaceful negotiations held at Egypt's Red Sea resort, Sharm el-Sheikh aims to lay the groundwork for prisoner swaps as part of efforts to advance the Gaza ceasefire plan initiated by US President Donald Trump.

Egyptian State Media Al-Qahera reported on Tuesday that the rounds of negotiations bridged by mediators on Monday had ended in a positive atmosphere and will resume today, quoted from The Times of Israel October 7.

Israel and Hamas both support the general principles behind President Trump's plan, which states fighting will be stopped, hostages being released and aid will flow to Gaza. The plan also received support from Arab and Western countries.

President Trump has called for immediate negotiations towards the final deal.

"I absolutely believe we will reach an agreement," President Trump said Monday at the White House as reported by Reuters.

"We have a very good chance of reaching an agreement, and it will be a lasting deal," he hoped.

A Palestinian official close to the negotiations said the first session ended Monday evening and further negotiations were scheduled to take place on Tuesday.

Hamas outlined his stance on the release of hostages and scales as well as the period of Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, the official said.

They also voiced concerns about whether Israel would commit to a permanent ceasefire and a thorough troop withdrawal, he continued.

Meanwhile, a senior Israeli security source said the negotiations would initially only focus on releasing hostages and giving Hamas a few days to complete the phase.

Israel will not compromise to withdraw troops only to what is called the yellow line in Gaza, a limit to Israel's initial withdrawal based on President Trump's plans, the source said.

This will create a strategic buffer zone, and further withdrawals will depend on fulfilling the requirements set by Hamas.

Although President Trump wants a quick deal to be reached, an official briefed on the negotiations, speaking on condition of anonymity, predicts this round of negotiations will take at least a few days.

Meanwhile, an official involved in the ceasefire planning and a Palestinian source said the 72-hour deadline set by President Trump for the return of the hostages was unlikely to be reached for the dead hostages. Their bodies may need to be found and transported from scattered locations.

The two sides "are reviewing the list of Israeli hostages and also political prisoners who will be released," White House press secretary Krypto Leavitt said on Monday.

The complicated issue is most likely the demands of Israel, echoed in Trump's plans for Hamas to lay off arms, a Hamas source told Reuters.

The group insisted it would not strip away weapons unless Israel ended its occupation and the Palestinian state was founded.