Hamas’s senior negotiator Khalil al-Hayya said Tuesday during indirect talks with Israel in Egypt that the group seeks assurances from U.S. President Donald Trump and other mediating countries that the war will be brought to a definitive end.
"We do not trust the occupation, not even for a second," he told Egyptian state-linked media Al-Qahera News, referring to Israel.
"The Israeli occupation throughout history does not keep its promises, and we have experienced it twice in this war. Therefore, we want real guarantees," he continued, criticizing Israel for violating two cease-fires in the current war.
The second day of indirect negotiations at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh is focused on a plan proposed by Trump last week that aims to bring about an end to the war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is accused of committing genocide in Gaza, has said the war will only end when all the hostages are returned and Hamas has been disarmed.
Netanyahu's office said Tuesday that Israel was "cautiously optimistic," framing the talks as technical negotiations over a plan that both sides already had approved.
The plan has received widespread international backing, and Trump told reporters on Monday that he thought there was a "really good chance" of a lasting deal.
In a sign that the talks were gaining momentum, Qatar said its prime minister and top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, would travel to Egypt on Wednesday to join the negotiations. The head of Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Ibrahim Kalın, Trump's Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as well as top Netanyahu adviser Ron Dermer, are also expected to join the talks then.
The plan envisions Israel withdrawing its troops from Gaza after Hamas disarms, and an international security force being put in place. The territory would be placed under international governance, with Trump and former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair overseeing it.
