Israel and Hamas were due to hold indirect talks in Egypt on Sunday and Monday aimed at ending the Gaza war, with momentum gathering for a ceasefire amid pressure from US President Donald Trump.
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was travelling to Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials on the way forward, sources told The National, while the White House told US media that Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner will attend as well.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry announced the talks but gave no further details.
The meetings come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned late on Saturday that “Hamas will be disarmed … either diplomatically via Trump's plan or militarily by us”.
He said he hopes to announce the release of all hostages from Gaza “in the coming days” and that he had sent a delegation to Egypt “to finalise technical details”.
“Our goal is to contain these negotiations to a time frame of a few days,” he said.
“I hope that in the coming days we will be able to bring back all our hostages … during the Sukkot holidays,” he added, referring to the Jewish festival that begins on Monday and runs for one week.
But he indicated there would not be a full Israeli army withdrawal from Gaza, something Hamas has long demanded. He said the Israeli army will continue to hold areas of the enclave.
The Israeli leader spoke after Hamas said it had accepted some elements of a plan put forward by Mr Trump to end the war. Mr Trump welcomed the Hamas response but warned on Saturday that “Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off”.
He later said on social media that a ceasefire could begin immediately once Hamas confirms the “initial withdrawal line” in Gaza.
The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan also welcomed the Hamas response on Sunday in a joint statement.
"The Foreign Ministers reiterated their joint commitment to support efforts towards the implementation of the proposal, to work for the immediate end of the war on Gaza, and achieve a comprehensive agreement," they said.
Sources told The National that Turkish officials were also due to participate in the Egypt talks. Top of the agenda will be the parts of the US plan that Hamas told mediators they needed clarifications on, according to the sources.
These include the logistics and mechanics of the release of the hostages, the disarmament of Hamas and the mandate of the international force that Mr Trump has proposed be sent to Gaza to maintain security, said the sources.
Also on the agenda is Hamas's request for a timeline for Israel's withdrawal, they said. Mr Witkoff was expected to travel on from Egypt to Israel and possibly Saudi Arabia, the sources added.
Mr Trump has ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza, but official Palestinian media reported that at least 70 people were killed on Saturday by Israeli troops.
An Israeli strike on Gaza city's Tuffah neighbourhood killed at least 17 and injured 25 others, according to Al Ahli Hospital.
The Israeli army warned Palestinians against trying to return to Gaza city, calling it a “dangerous combat zone”.
Mr Trump appears determined to deliver on pledges to end the war and return all hostages held by Hamas ahead of Tuesday's second anniversary of the Hamas attack that led to the fighting. His proposal has widespread international support.
Under Mr Trump's plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages – about 20 of them believed to be alive – in three days. It would give up power and disarm.
In return, Israel would halt its offensive and withdraw from much of Gaza, release hundreds of Palestinian detainees and allow an influx of humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction.
Hamas said it was willing to release the hostages and hand over power, but that other aspects of the US plan require further consultations among Palestinians. It did not address disarmament.
A group representing some of the families of the hostages said their release “has never been closer”. They appealed to Mr Trump to keep pushing “with full force” and warned that “extremists on both sides” will try to sabotage the plan.
