US, Qatar, Turkey to join third day of Gaza peace talks in Egypt

Qatar's prime minister and senior delegates from the United States and Turkey will join Hamas and Israeli negotiators on Wednesday for a third day of talks aimed at ending the Gaza war.

Israel and Hamas are holding indirect negotiations in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, based on a 20-point plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump last month.

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Turkey's intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Trump's special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are all due to attend the talks.

"There's a real chance that we could do something," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, adding that U.S. negotiators were also involved in the talks.

"I think there's a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East. It's something even beyond the Gaza situation. We want a release of the hostages immediately." 

Trump said the United States would do "everything possible to make sure everyone adheres to the deal" if Hamas and Israel do agree on a cease-fire.

The talks came as Israel commemorated the second anniversary of Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

The incursion also led to 251 people being taken hostage into Gaza, of whom 47 remain captive, including 25 the Israeli military says are dead.

Global pressure to end the war has escalated, with over 67,000 Palestinians killed, much of Gaza flattened and a U.N.-declared famine unfolding leading to a U.N. report and dozens of experts accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters joined pro-Palestinian mass demonstrations in cities across the world last weekend, calling for an immediate end to the war, including in Italy, Spain, Ireland and Britain.

Demonstrators in the Netherlands called for their government to recognize a Palestinian state, while tens of thousands in Britain defied Prime Minister Keir Starmer's calls to skip rallies on the 2-year commemoration of the start of the war.

'Guarantees'

Hamas's top negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, said the group wants "guarantees from President Trump and the sponsor countries that the war will end once and for all."

Trump's plan calls for a cease-fire, the release of all the hostages, Hamas's disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

The plan was agreed upon by Israel while Hamas agreed in principle, prompting indirect talks in Egypt since Monday to iron out some points.

A Palestinian source close to the Hamas negotiating team said Tuesday's session included Hamas discussing "the initial maps presented by the Israeli side regarding the withdrawal of troops as well as the mechanism and timetable for the hostage-prisoner exchange."

U.S. representatives Witkoff and Kushner were expected to arrive in Egypt on Wednesday, according to Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, after they were initially expected to arrive last weekend.

"The primary guarantee of success at this stage is U.S. President Trump himself ... even if it comes to a point to require him imposing a vision," he said.