The most promising effort yet to end the war in Gaza was bolstered as senior figures from Israel and the United States joined the negotiations on Wednesday after Hamas handed over its lists of hostages and Palestinian prisoners to be freed in a swap.

With President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan appearing closer than any previous bid to halt the war, delegations were upgrading their presence at the indirect talks, launched on Monday in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, arrived and began participation in the talks, Israeli and Palestinian sources said.

Also joining the discussions was the prime minister of longstanding mediator Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, according to Egyptian sources.

Turkey says talks are making headway

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the mediated negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas had made “a lot of headway” and that a ceasefire would be declared if they reached a positive outcome.

Trump also expressed optimism about progress towards a deal on Tuesday, and European, Arab and other states will meet in Paris on Thursday to discuss Gaza’s post-war transition, with Washington likely to be represented, diplomatic sources said.

But crucial details are yet to be spelt out, including the timing, a post-war administration for the Gaza Strip and the fate of Hamas.

Hamas said it had handed over its lists of hostages and Palestinian prisoners to be exchanged in a swap, and was optimistic about the talks so far.

The list of Palestinians Hamas wants freed is expected to include some of the most prominent prisoners ever jailed by Israel, whose release had been off limits in previous ceasefires.

According to a Palestinian source close to the talks, the list includes Marwan al-Barghouti, a leader of the Fatah movement, and Ahmed Saadat, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Both are serving multiple life sentences for involvement in attacks that killed Israelis.

Hamas says the indirect negotiations have been focused so far on three issues: halting the conflict, withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza and the swap deal.

The group has so far refused to discuss Israel’s demand that Hamas give up its arms, which the Palestinian source said Hamas would reject as long as Israeli troops occupy Palestinian land.

Two sources familiar with the talks confirmed that sticking points included the mechanism for the Israeli withdrawal, with Hamas seeking a clear timeline linked to the release of hostages and guarantees of a complete withdrawal by Israeli forces.

Israel dials down its offensive

Within Gaza, Israel has dialled down its military campaign at Trump’s behest, though it has not halted strikes altogether. Gaza medical authorities reported eight people killed in Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours, the lowest toll for weeks.

Daily death tolls had been around 10 times as high over the past month as Israeli forces pressed one of their biggest campaigns of the war, dynamiting neighbourhoods as they advance in an all-out assault on Gaza City.

“We hope from God that a ceasefire would take place as soon as possible, because people can’t bear the suffering anymore,” said Jehad al-Shagnobi, whose house was destroyed in the Sabra district of Gaza City.

“The suffering is great; people can’t breathe anymore. We hope from God that the negotiations take place today and are successful.”

Trump expressed optimism about progress towards a deal on Tuesday, when solemn events took place across Israel to mark the second anniversary of the Hamas attack that triggered the war.

Another participant at the talks will be Turkish spymaster Ibrahim Kalin, pointing to a growing role for Turkey, a powerful NATO member which has close contacts with Hamas. President Tayyip Erdogan said Trump had asked Turkey to help persuade Hamas to accept the deal.

Plan must lead to a Palestinian state

Trump’s plan calls for an international body led by Trump himself and including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to play a role in Gaza’s post-war administration. Arab countries, which back the plan, say it must lead to eventual independence for a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu says will never happen.

Even if a breakthrough is reached, there is no clear indication who will rule Gaza when the war ends. Netanyahu, Trump, Western and Arab states have ruled out a role for Hamas, which has run Gaza since driving out Palestinian rivals in 2007.

Hamas has said it was ready to relinquish Gaza governance, but only to a Palestinian technocrat government supervised by the Palestinian Authority and backed by Arab and Muslim countries, as per a longstanding Egyptian proposal. It rejects any role for Blair or foreign rule of Gaza.

Global outrage has mounted against Israel’s assault. Multiple rights experts, scholars and a UN inquiry say it amounts to genocide. Israel calls its actions self-defence after the 2023 Hamas attack.

Gaza authorities say more than 67,000 people have been killed in Israel’s offensive.