The talks will continue based on a plan presented by US President Donald Trump, criticized by Hamas, which nevertheless agreed to hold talks to end the Israeli aggression.

Sources from the Islamist group revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that during the first round, a roadmap was created to determine the timeline for the negotiations, with the participation of Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States.

According to the newspaper, Hamas demanded an end to Israeli attacks as a key condition for a prisoner exchange and also wants clear guarantees about the end of the conflict once the captives are handed over.

Specifically, a Palestinian official quoted by the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram expressed deep skepticism about the prospects for progress, noting that the factions fear Israel will end the process once its prisoners are released, about twenty of whom are presumed to be alive and another 28 dead.

For its part, Israeli Channel 13 reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered the negotiating team to show no flexibility beyond the terms presented in Trump’s plan.

Last Friday, Hamas welcomed some elements of Washington’s plan, although it called for negotiations on several issues and avoided commenting on its weapons.

jdt/otf/rob