Hamas seeks guarantees Israel will end Gaza war.
Senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera captives’ release will occur in stages tied to Israel’s military withdrawal from Gaza.
Hamas Seeks Firm Guarantees as Second Day of Gaza Truce Talks Concludes in Egypt
The latest round of indirect negotiations aimed at halting the devastating war in Gaza wrapped up its second day in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Tuesday, with Hamas insisting on concrete guarantees that Israel will end its military campaign and withdraw completely from the Palestinian territory. The discussions are part of a 20-point peace plan proposed by United States President Donald Trump, which both sides have approached with a mix of caution and skepticism.
Hamas officials have reiterated that they will not agree to any ceasefire arrangement unless there are binding assurances that Israel will fully end its operations in Gaza. “We are seeking guarantees that the occupation army will withdraw from our land and that this war, which has brought immense suffering to our people, will finally come to an end,” senior Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said after the talks concluded. He added that the group’s negotiators are focused on securing “a complete withdrawal of the occupation forces” and a clear path toward reconstruction and stability in the war-ravaged enclave.
President Trump, speaking from the White House on the second anniversary of the war’s outbreak, expressed guarded optimism. “There’s a real chance we can reach a Gaza deal,” he said, calling the ongoing negotiations a “window of opportunity” for both sides. However, observers noted that Trump’s 20-point plan remains vague on several critical issues, particularly the timeline for Israel’s withdrawal. While it outlines broad stages for easing hostilities, it stops short of committing Israel to a specific schedule for pulling its troops out of Gaza.
According to the proposal, any Israeli withdrawal would only occur after Hamas releases all remaining captives. The group is believed to be holding 48 Israeli hostages, 20 of whom are thought to be alive. The lack of a clear sequence or enforcement mechanism in the plan has raised doubts within Hamas about whether Israel would actually follow through once the captives are freed.
A senior Hamas official, speaking to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity after Tuesday’s talks, said the group intends to release captives in stages, directly linked to Israel’s withdrawal process. “We will not hand over everyone at once,” the official explained. Only when those steps are verifiably completed will the next stage proceed.”
Diplomatic sources close to the negotiations said the Egyptian mediators have been shuttling between delegations from Hamas, Israel, and U.S. representatives in an effort to narrow differences on sequencing and verification. Qatar is also playing a behind-the-scenes role, pressing for an agreement that would open the way for humanitarian aid and reconstruction funding to enter Gaza as soon as possible.
More than two years of intense bombardment, displacement, and economic collapse have left the territory in ruins. Hospitals and schools continue to struggle with shortages of fuel, medicine, and safe drinking water. “We’ve lost everything,” said Ahmed al-Khalil, a father of three displaced from northern Gaza. “Every day, we wait for news of a ceasefire, but it always feels just out of reach.”
Analysts say Hamas’s insistence on guarantees reflects lessons from past ceasefire deals that collapsed without long-term enforcement. In previous truces, Israeli forces had withdrawn only partially or resumed strikes soon after temporary calm. “Hamas wants to avoid another short-lived pause,” said political analyst Maha Youssef in Cairo. “They are demanding written, internationally backed assurances that Israel will not simply re-enter Gaza after a few weeks.”
Despite cautious optimism from Washington, the outcome remains uncertain. While Trump’s administration is eager to claim a diplomatic breakthrough ahead of next year’s U.S. elections, both Hamas and Israel appear deeply entrenched in their positions. The next phase of talks, scheduled for later this week, will focus on defining the mechanisms to monitor any ceasefire and ensure compliance from both sides.
As the delegations prepare to return to the table, hope mixes with exhaustion. “We want peace, but not empty promises,” Barhoum said. “Our people deserve a real end to this war — not just another pause before the next round of bloodshed.”