Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El Sisi also said Wednesday that the messages he had received out of the talks in Sharm el-Sheikh were "very encouraging."

People familiar with the mediators’ thinking say the militant group could compromise on a long-held red line, as long as President Trump can guarantee that Israel would not resume fighting.

The Hamas statement said there was a "spirit of optimism" as the two sides discuss President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan.

SHEIKH, Egypt (Reuters) -Hamas said on Tuesday it was ready to reach a deal to end the war in Gaza based on President Donald Trump's plan but still has demands, as Qatar's prime minister and senior U.

Early on Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led fighters launched a multipronged terrorist attack on Israel. The resulting war in Gaza has created a humanitarian catastrophe.

President Donald Trump posted on social media minutes before a Hamas peace proposal deadline, warning of massive bloodshed if talks fail.

Those claims continued to dog Israel in the second year of its conflict, as civilian casualties in Gaza climbed, mass hunger spread and the IDF repeatedly forced large numbers of Palestinians to relocate. As Israel opened aid routes in July, the IDF said in a statement that that there is "no starvation in Gaza."

Israel assesses that Hamas may not be able to find and return all the remaining dead hostages in Gaza, according to three Israeli sources, a fact that may complicate efforts to reach a deal to end the war.

Former Israeli generals link today’s hunt for Hamas terrorists to Golda Meir’s post-Munich strategy of retribution and deterrence, still shaping national defense five decades later.