Delegations from Hamas and Israel gathered in Egypt on Monday for renewed ceasefire talks, even as Israeli occupation forces continued their relentless bombardment of Gaza, killing at least 10 Palestinians — including aid seekers — since dawn.

The meetings, held in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, mark a new round of mediation efforts led by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States to implement the Trump-proposed Gaza ceasefire plan. However, hopes for progress remain slim as Israel persists in its aggression and siege, deepening Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe.

Hamas confirmed that its delegation is headed by Khalil al-Hayya, the head of its negotiating team who narrowly survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Qatar last month. The movement said that it approaches the talks with “a firm commitment to securing an immediate, comprehensive ceasefire, lifting the blockade, and ensuring the full withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza.”

Meanwhile, Gaza’s health authorities reported that the Israeli bombardment continues to claim lives across the Strip, targeting residential areas and humanitarian zones despite international calls for restraint.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s devastating war on Gaza has killed at least 67,160 Palestinians and injured 169,679 others, most of them women and children. Thousands remain missing under the rubble as Israel’s siege prevents civil defense crews from conducting full rescue operations.

Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to ruins, and over two million Palestinians have been displaced amid the total collapse of healthcare, water, and electricity systems.

In contrast, Israeli authorities report 1,139 deaths during the October 2023 Hamas-led operation, with around 200 captives still believed to be held in Gaza.

Human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned Israel’s actions as war crimes and acts of collective punishment, while accusing Western powers of complicity through continued political and military support.

The Egyptian-brokered negotiations are meant to establish a phased ceasefire under the U.S.-proposed framework. The plan reportedly includes a temporary cessation of hostilities, prisoner exchanges, and increased humanitarian aid to Gaza.

However, Israel has so far rejected key Palestinian demands — including a complete withdrawal from Gaza, guarantees for reconstruction, and lifting of the suffocating blockade that has strangled the enclave for 18 years.

Hamas officials insist that any deal must ensure lasting protection for Gaza’s people. “We will not accept a temporary calm that allows the occupation to regroup and resume its massacres,” one Hamas source said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing internal political turmoil, has vowed to maintain military pressure, stating that Israel “will not end the war until Hamas is dismantled.” Observers say his position undermines the credibility of the peace process and signals that Israel seeks military dominance, not negotiation.

U.S. President Donald Trump — who has presented his plan as a “final path to peace” — urged negotiators to “move fast,” warning that delay could lead to “massive bloodshed.” Yet critics argue that Washington continues to enable Israel’s aggression while pressuring Palestinians to concede under siege.

Regional mediators, including Egypt and Qatar, are attempting to secure at least a humanitarian truce to halt Israel’s ongoing strikes and allow aid convoys into the devastated Strip.

Meanwhile, the United Nations and several rights groups have renewed their calls for accountability. The UN Human Rights Office warned that Israeli attacks on populated areas “violate international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes.”

As the talks unfold, the people of Gaza continue to endure unbearable conditions. Food, medicine, and fuel are nearly depleted, and diseases are spreading rapidly through overcrowded displacement camps.

Palestinian civil society groups have called on the international community to stop treating Gaza as a “negotiation card” and to uphold the right of the Palestinian people to resist occupation and live in dignity and freedom.

For Palestinians, the Sharm el-Sheikh negotiations are more than political theater — they are a test of whether the world will finally act to end genocide, lift the blockade, and allow Gaza’s shattered society to breathe again. (ILKHA)