Israel-Gaza peace talks: Hamas and Israel enter third day, top Trump envoy expected to join

Israel and Hamas entered a third day of peace talks at an Egyptian resort Wednesday (October 8, 2025), with more senior officials from the United States, Israel and mediating countries expected to join — a sign that negotiators aim to tackle the toughest issues of an American plan to end the war in Gaza.

Hamas says it is seeking firm guarantees from U.S. President Donald Trump and mediators that Israel will not resume its military campaign in the Palestinian territory after the militant group releases all the remaining hostages.

All sides have expressed optimism for a deal to end the two-year war, with tens of thousands of Palestinians killed and most of the Gaza Strip destroyed.

But key parts of the peace plan have still not been pinned down — including requirements that Hamas disarm, the timing and extent of an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza and the creation of an international body to run Gaza after Hamas steps down from power.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, was heading to the Egyptian coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh to join the talks.

Also expected onWednesday (October 8, 2025) were Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and the President’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, according to a U.S. official who was not authorised to talk to reporters because the trip has not yet been formally announced.

From Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s top adviser, Ron Dermer, was also to join, an Israeli official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

As Qatari, Egyptian and U.S. mediators met with both sides in preliminary talks on Wednesday (October 8, 2025) morning, a senior Hamas official, Taher Nounou, said the group has exchanged a list of Palestinian prisoners it seeks to release in return for Israeli hostages under the deal’s terms.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said on Wednesday (October 8, 2025) in televised comments that the negotiations so far “were very encouraging”.