Gaza ceasefire talks enter 2nd day in Egypt as Hamas demands end to war

The second day of indirect Gaza ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, began on Tuesday in the Egyptian Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, an Egyptian source told Xinhua.



The source said the two sides focused on core issues, including a hostage-prisoner exchange, the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and the transfer of governance in the Gaza Strip.



The source stressed that Hamas still seeks U.S. and Israeli guarantees of a permanent end to the war, adding that this remains the main sticking point in the negotiations so far.



The talks, which started on Monday, center on implementing the 20-point peace plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, which Hamas has recently accepted in principle.



The first phase of the plan includes an immediate ceasefire and the release of all Israeli hostages, both alive and deceased. Israel believes 48 hostages remain in Gaza, 20 of whom are alive.