Two years have passed since Hamas’s fierce attack on Israel. The retaliatory action launched by Israel on Gaza after this terrorist attack on October 7, 2023 is still ongoing. In these two years, millions of people have died, become homeless and widespread destruction has shaken the Middle East region. Now Hamas said on Tuesday that we are ready to make an agreement to end the war in Gaza based on President Donald Trump’s plan. But we still have some demands and we also want guarantees. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of Qatar and a senior US mediator have left for Egypt to participate in indirect talks between the Palestinian terrorist group and Israel. On the second anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel, Trump expressed hope for progress towards a Gaza agreement. A US team, including special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and former Middle East envoy during his first term, have left for the talks.
“I believe there is a possibility of peace in the Middle East beyond Gaza,” the US president told reporters in the Oval Office. The talks were adjourned for the day and were in better spirits than on Monday, a source said. The presence of senior mediators will be a key indicator of whether progress can be made, the source said.
One of the chief mediators, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulaziz, will join the talks on Wednesday to advance a Gaza ceasefire plan and a deal to release hostages, an official said. On the second day of talks in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, top Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya told Egyptian state news TV that “the group has come to engage in serious and responsible talks.” Hayya said that “Hamas is ready for a deal. But it wants guarantees that the war will end and will not resume.”
It has been two years since Hamas launched 5,000 rockets into Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel has been fighting a war of survival for decades, but this is the first time such a large-scale attack has taken place, in which 1,200 Israeli civilians have died and Hamas has kidnapped more than 250 people. Most of the hostages were Israelis and citizens of several other countries. Following the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Israel at war and launched a military campaign in Gaza to wipe out Hamas. Over the past two years, 69,000 people have died in operations against Hamas and its allies. The death toll is likely to rise as the war continues.
