Second day of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas

The second day of indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian independence movement Hamas was held in the popular Egyptian tourist city of Sharm el-Sheikh. The meeting was held on Tuesday (October 7), which was of special significance as it took place on the second anniversary of the ongoing war in Gaza. In this meeting, Hamas made it clear that the war in Gaza must be completely stopped and the occupying Israeli forces must be completely withdrawn.

Hamas said that they have clarified their position on US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan. Hamas claims that under this plan, a specific timetable for the withdrawal of troops from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire must be guaranteed.

On the other hand, President Trump said, while speaking at the White House, "There is a real possibility of an agreement on the Gaza issue." He added, "A new chapter of lasting peace in the Middle East can begin through the current talks."

The third round of talks is scheduled to take place in Egypt on Wednesday. It has been confirmed that top diplomats from the United States and Qatar will attend.

Senior Hamas leader Fawzi Barhoum said, “We want an end to the war. Our first and main demand is the complete withdrawal of the occupying forces from Gaza.” However, the timetable for the withdrawal of troops is not clear in Trump’s plan. Rather, the plan states that the phased withdrawal of troops will begin only if Hamas releases 48 Israeli prisoners they are holding. It is believed that at least 20 of these prisoners are still alive.

According to the Egyptian-based media outlet Al-Qahira News, Hamas’s top negotiator Khalil al-Haya said after the talks, “We do not trust the occupying Israel for a second. We want an assurance that the war will never start again when it ends.”

Meanwhile, the Israeli army has launched new airstrikes in the Gaza Strip amid the talks. According to the Palestinian official news agency Wafa, at least 10 Palestinians were killed in Tuesday's attacks. Despite Trump's call for a ceasefire last Friday, Israeli forces have not stopped. In the past four days alone, 104 Palestinians have lost their lives in Israeli attacks on Gaza.

The Palestinian resistance coalition said in a joint statement that they "will continue to resist by all means" and that no one has the right to take away the Palestinians' weapons. The statement is essentially seen as a rejection of the proposal to disarm Hamas in Trump's plan.

According to analysts, the Egyptian talks have created a new possibility in resolving the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. However, Hamas's firm position and Israel's inflexible policy have made the path to a lasting peace agreement between the two sides difficult.