Israel on Monday marked two years since the deadly Hamas assault of October 7, 2023, as new ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas resumed in Egypt amid growing international pressure to end the war in Gaza.
The anniversary comes as negotiators gather in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss a ceasefire plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. The talks, expected to last several days, will focus on the “first stage” of the proposal, securing the release of remaining hostages held in Gaza, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody, and ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.
According to Israeli officials, Hamas and allied militant groups still hold 48 hostages, with only about 20 believed to be alive. Since Israel launched its retaliatory offensive in Gaza following the 2023 attacks, which killed roughly 1,200 Israelis and saw more than 250 people taken hostage, the conflict has claimed over 67,000 Palestinian lives, mostly women and children. The fighting has devastated Gaza’s infrastructure and left much of the population facing famine conditions.
An independent United Nations inquiry has accused Israel of committing genocide, an allegation the Israeli government has firmly denied.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Atty said Cairo is working to “facilitate conditions” for the release of hostages and the redeployment of Israeli forces as part of implementing the first phase of the ceasefire plan. He added that further discussions on later phases of the proposal were ongoing but offered no specifics.
A senior Hamas source told CNN that the group’s delegation in Egypt includes three members who survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Doha last month. The source said “real negotiations” only began in earnest on Monday after an initial round made little progress.
Trump, writing on social media, described the talks as “very successful” and said they were “proceeding rapidly.” He added that he expects the first phase of the plan to be completed within the week and urged both sides to “move fast.”
World leaders also marked the October 7 anniversary with renewed appeals for peace and the release of hostages. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for more humanitarian aid to Gaza and progress toward a lasting ceasefire. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU would “never forget the horror” of the Hamas attacks, while French President Emmanuel Macron denounced them as an “unspeakable horror” that “must never happen again.”
Leaders of Spain, Ireland, Sweden, Greece, and Luxembourg echoed similar sentiments, condemning terrorism, calling for the release of hostages, and urging an end to the conflict.
As the war enters its third year, the world’s attention turns once again to Egypt, where diplomats hope renewed dialogue might finally bring an end to one of the most devastating and protracted conflicts in recent Middle Eastern history.
