Here’s what to know about Gaza talks in Egypt
- Israel says its negotiators are travelling to Egypt tonight, with indirect talks with Hamas scheduled to take place tomorrow.
- US President Donald Trump has sent his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his emissary Steve Witkoff as US envoys to Egypt for the talks.
- Hamas has agreed to release Israeli captives and accepted parts of the plan presented by Trump, but key issues remain over whether Israel will halt its attacks, where its forces will withdraw to, and how Hamas’s disarmament would be carried out.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says 90 percent of the plan has been worked out, but this next phase on disarmament and demobilisation will be “hard”.
- He added that the war is not over and there is no set timeline.
Israeli negotiating team made up of Netanyahu loyalists
The Israeli negotiating team is comprised of a few members, headed by Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer – he is one of Netanyahu’s political allies, one of his confidants – and the hostage negotiator for Israel, Gal Hirsch.
This is a different team that has gone in the past. Previously, we had the head of the Shin Bet [and] the head of the Mossad, who were negotiating on a much more pragmatic level and actually disagreeing with the Israeli prime minister as to what needed to be done for these negotiations.
They had butted heads because there was a difference of opinion, because there were times, according to Israeli media, these security chiefs told Netanyahu, “This is the deal on the table, this is what’s being presented and it’s a good time to take it.” But Netanyahu had reportedly put in more roadblocks, set new conditions.
So this is now a new negotiating team composed of Netanyahu’s loyalists, who want to do his bidding and are not going to defy him or challenge him when it comes to what he wants in these negotiations.
But it is worth mentioning that the Americans were quite clear: They are not going to tolerate a delay from either side.
Israeli negotiators to leave for Egypt tomorrow
The Israeli delegation will be headed by Ron Dermer, Israel’s minister of strategic affairs, according to a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. The talks will be held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, it added.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the Israeli delegation, headed by Minister Ron Dermer, to depart. The delegation will depart as early as tomorrow for the negotiations, which are to be held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 5, 2025
Hamas says negotiating team has arrived in Egypt ahead of talks
The Palestinian group says its delegation, headed by Khalil al-Hayya, will begin negotiations “on the mechanisms for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of [Israeli] occupation forces and a prisoner exchange”.
