CAIRO — Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Tuesday that ongoing Gaza ceasefire negotiations are centering on creating a mechanism to ensure Israel’s full withdrawal from the enclave and unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid.

Speaking at a press conference with his Slovenian counterpart, Abdelatty expressed optimism that the current round of talks could conclude with an end to the war and famine in Gaza, saying “significant progress has been made.”

Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas began Monday in Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire proposal.

Abdelatty said discussions in Sharm el-Sheikh are focused on establishing a mechanism that guarantees a complete Israeli pullout and unconditional entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza through UN-supervised channels.

He said the talks aim to reinforce the path toward a just peace based on the two-state solution and full Palestinian unity between the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The Egyptian minister welcomed Trump’s initiative and called for launching a political process built on the current diplomatic momentum to establish an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Trump’s 20-point plan, unveiled on Sept. 29, calls for the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas, and the reconstruction of Gaza. Hamas has agreed to the plan in principle.

According to Egypt’s state-run Al-Qahera News, the first day of negotiations ended in a “positive atmosphere.” Israel’s public broadcaster KAN also reported optimism in both Israel and the United States, suggesting an agreement could be reached by Sunday.

Since October 2023, Israeli bombardment has killed more than 67,100 Palestinians — most of them women and children — and rendered much of Gaza uninhabitable, with widespread displacement, starvation, and disease. — Agencies