A senior Israeli official said Wednesday evening that negotiations in Egypt aimed at ending the war in Gaza and securing the release of 48 hostages held by Hamas have reached their most promising point yet, though caution is still warranted.
“There is real optimism. We are closer than ever to a deal, but experience demands caution,” the official said, adding that “in Judaism, we only bless what is complete.” The comment came amid a new round of high-level talks involving Israel, Hamas and regional mediators.
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(Photo: AP, REUTERS/Nir Elias, REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein, Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP, REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
Israeli officials believe an agreement could be signed by Friday, aligning with the American goal of beginning hostage releases as early as next week. Under the emerging framework, Hamas would have 72 hours from the signing to release all hostages.
One key area of dispute has involved the list of Palestinian security prisoners Israel would release as part of the deal. Israel has reportedly vetoed the inclusion of high-profile prisoners such as Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat. It remains unclear whether Israel will agree to release other high-ranking prisoners classified as “heavy” or “symbolic” cases.
The primary sticking point in recent days has centered on the coordination between the release of all hostages—both living and deceased—and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Hamas has demanded that the hostage releases be tied to a full phased withdrawal of Israeli troops. Israel has insisted that full withdrawal would occur only after the final hostage is freed.
According to sources familiar with the negotiations, the two sides are nearing a compromise: hostage releases would begin while the IDF is still present in Gaza, with full withdrawal taking place only after the completion of the first phase of releases. This would mean that while withdrawal is not a precondition to begin releasing hostages, it would not be delayed until after the entire deal is completed either.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, attending the Sharm el-Sheikh talks, said a ceasefire could be reached “within hours.” He identified four key issues still under discussion and suggested that once agreement is reached on those, an official ceasefire announcement could follow.
“Netanyahu always has a Plan B to sabotage negotiations,” Fidan said at a joint press conference with Syria’s foreign minister. “But I don’t believe he has much room to maneuver now.” He added, “If progress is made today, we could announce a ceasefire in Gaza.”
Fidan also commented on U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed plan for Gaza, saying it could facilitate prisoner exchanges and allow for humanitarian aid to flow to Palestinians. He emphasized the need to address key elements including governance in Gaza, international participation in reconstruction, and the disarmament of Hamas. “We are working closely with Qatar and Egypt to achieve an immediate ceasefire,” he said.
This marks the first time Turkey has formally joined the Israel-Hamas negotiations. The head of Turkish intelligence, Ibrahim Kalin, took part in Wednesday’s third day of talks — a move seen by Israel as significant leverage on Hamas, given Turkey’s influence with the group.
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US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
(Photo: Jim WATSON / AFP)
Kalin is currently the highest-level Turkish official engaged in direct dialogue with Israeli counterparts, particularly within Israel’s defense establishment, the Mossad, and National Security Council, amid the absence of formal diplomatic relations.
Turkey’s participation is part of a broader alignment with the Trump plan. In return for supporting the initiative, Ankara is expected to play a central role in Gaza’s postwar reconstruction and in facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid — in coordination with Israel.
According to Israeli sources, Turkish officials informed their American counterparts that they have established contact with two Hamas groups holding Israeli hostages — groups that had previously been unreachable.
A senior U.S. official told Sky News Arabia on Wednesday that an agreement could be reached soon. The officials said that the American mediators were "optimistic about that possibility.” A White House official added that the negotiations are at “a critical stage.”
Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya, Trump advisers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrive in Sharm el-Sheikh for Gaza ceasefire talks
Meanwhile, an Israeli official familiar with the talks in Sharm el-Sheikh told Ynet that the sides are “moving closer to agreement on the first phase of Trump’s Gaza plan.” While disagreements remain, the official described the mood as “cautiously optimistic” and said “the direction is positive.”
Speaking to Saudi Arabia’s Al Hadath network, another senior Israeli official said Israel is seeking to “revise the withdrawal map in the first phase of the agreement.” He added that “the Arab position carries unprecedented weight in any Gaza agreement” and that Trump is exerting significant pressure to finalize the first phase.
Izzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas official, welcomed the participation of senior Qatari and Turkish representatives in the Egypt-hosted negotiations. “Their involvement gives the talks strong momentum toward positive results to end the war and achieve a prisoner swap,” he said. Al-Rishq added that their presence also narrows Netanyahu’s room for maneuver to continue the offensive or sabotage the negotiations.
Meanwhile, Politico reported that as American advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner prepared to join talks on Trump’s plan to end the war, the two held a strategic meeting Tuesday in the Oval Office, according to a senior U.S. official.
An Israeli adviser familiar with the negotiations told Politico: “We are closer to a deal than ever before because President Trump decided to leave Netanyahu no room for maneuver.”
Earlier, mediators continued to exchange lists of Palestinian prisoners proposed for release. According to Palestinian sources, the prisoner issue looms large in the talks, partly because Turkey is pushing to advance the lists, and partly because Hamas demands inclusion of militants with heavy sentences.
A senior Palestinian source told Ynet Wednesday that efforts are underway to raise the number of prisoners serving life sentences to be released from 250 to 300. In parallel, senior officials told Ultra Palestine that during the day’s discussions, the number of names Israel sought to veto was reduced. Still, Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza remains a “significant barrier” to progress, the officials said. At the same time, The Wall Street Journal reported that Hamas is demanding not only the release of prominent convicted terrorists, but also the return of the bodies of October 7 attack architects Yahya and Mohammed Sinwar.
Another sign that these are pivotal days — as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted Tuesday night — is Israel’s quiet preparation for a possible visit by U.S. President Donald Trump, should a hostage deal be finalized. The White House had previously laid the groundwork for a potential stop in Israel during Trump’s mid-September trip to the UK, but the visit was shelved after no agreement was reached in time.