DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinians in Gaza were following the latest effort to stop the war there and release the hostages with a mix of anticipation, cautious optimism and skepticism as Israeli and Hamas officials met Monday for indirect talks in Egypt.
“We’re all praying that they will succeed this time and the war stops,” said Ahmed Hashem, a father of four from Jabaliya refugee camp who was in Gaza City. He said he was following the news on his phone.
The talks on a U.S.-drafted peace plan to end the war in Gaza were beginning on the eve of the second anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war. Hamas said negotiations would focus on the first stage of a ceasefire, including the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces as well as the release of hostages held by the militants in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention.
Israel’s offensive in Gaza, launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. The war has also caused vast destruction, displacement and devastation in Gaza, forcing weary families to repeatedly move and giving rise to images of children hollowed out by hunger.
Hopes and optimism
Essam Hararah, a 55-year-old Palestinian from northern Gaza, said he hopes the negotiations will end up with a deal to “end the human suffering” in Gaza.
“This is the priority,” he said from Muwasi, an area crowded with tents sheltering Palestinians who were forced to flee their homes. “The situation in Gaza has become deplorable.”
Ayman al-Masri, a Palestinian from northern Gaza, appeared optimistic given Hamas’ agreement to release all hostages, and what he said appeared to be more interest from U.S. President Donald Trump to stop the war “because he wants the Nobel prize. "
“The atmosphere and the circumstances helped to reach this point,” he said by cellphone from Muwasi. “If God wills, it will end with an agreement soon.”
This latest push for peace comes after Hamas accepted some elements of the U.S. peace plan, a move welcomed by Trump. Israel has said it supported the new U.S. effort.
Trump has said he thinks Hamas is ready for a “lasting peace” and has told Israel to stop bombing the territory, but warned that “all bets will be off” if Hamas doesn’t move quickly. Despite Trump's order, Israeli forces continued to pound Gaza with airstrikes, killing at least 19 people in the last 24 hours, the territory’s Health Ministry said.
Prayers, skepticism and past disappointments
Hussein Abu Arabiya, who was displaced from Jabaliya, said he was praying for the ceasefire effort to succeed.
“The people are truly tired after two years of displacement. We are very tired,” he said. “Today we appeal to God to end the suffering of the Palestinian people after this great destruction that we never expected.”
Some were skeptical, saying their previous hopes had been dashed.
“We are two years into this war and we have not seen any progress or anything on the ground that would make us hopeful," said Nabila Shunnar, who was displaced from Gaza City.
Many uncertainties remained around the plan, including over the future of Gaza.
Mohamed Abu Taha, a Palestinian father from the city of Rafah, said from Muwasi: “We don’t expect that this war will end as long as Hamas doesn’t end its rule of Gaza."
On Friday, a Hamas statement said it was willing to release the hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians, but that other aspects of the plan require further consultations among Palestinians. That statement made no mention of Hamas disarming, a key Israeli demand. The statement also reiterated its longstanding openness to handing power over to a politically independent Palestinian body.
Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200, mostly civilians in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefire or other deals.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll in the war has exceeded 67,000. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says more than half of the dead were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.
Omar Nashar, a Khan Younis resident, expressed cautious optimism, saying that tremendous regional and international pressure will yield positive outcomes. Still, he said he was concerned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could derail the talks for domestic reasons.
“We hope that international and Arab pressure on the occupation will continue, so that these negotiations can continue to completely end the war, rebuild, and allow all our people to return to their homes,” he said.
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Magdy and Fam reported from Cairo.