Pivotal peace talks between Israel and Hamas held in Egypt

ITV News' Senior International Correspondent, John Irvine, in Tel Aviv, and International Editor Emma Murphy in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where both Israeli and Hamas officials are in negotiation talks, report.

Israeli and Hamas officials have held indirect talks at an Egyptian resort to negotiate the US-drafted peace plan to end the war in Gaza on the eve of the second anniversary.

The discussions follow Hamas' agreement to enter talks on the 20-point peace plan devised by Donald Trump, which calls for the release of all of the remaining hostages held by the militant group.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed optimism that all hostages will be released within days.

But many uncertainties remain about the plan presented by Trump last week, including the disarmament of Hamas - a key Israeli demand - and the future governance of Gaza.

An Egyptian official with knowledge of the talks said the parties wrapped up Monday’s round of negotiations at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, and the discussions were set to resume Tuesday afternoon.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, said the parties have agreed on most of the first-phase terms, which include the release of hostages and establishing a ceasefire.

Writing on social media before the talks in Egypt began, Trump urged both sides to "move fast", warning that "massive bloodshed will follow" if nothing is agreed.

With the semblance of peace on the horizon, Trump repeatedly ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza while talks were facilitated.

But despite this, Israel continued to pound Gaza with airstrikes, killing at least 19 people in the last 24 hours, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

The Israeli government spokeswoman, Badrosian, said “certain bombings have actually stopped inside the Gaza Strip.”

Under the proposed peace plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages - about 20 believed to be alive - within three days.

The talks in Egypt are expected to move quickly. Netanyahu said they would be “confined to a few days maximum,” though some Hamas officials have warned more time may be needed to locate the bodies of hostages buried under rubble.

Meanwhile, families of Israeli hostages petitioned the Nobel Prize Committee to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Trump for what they called his unprecedented contributions to global peace.

“At this very moment, President Trump’s comprehensive plan to release all remaining hostages and finally end this terrible war is on the table,” the families wrote. “For the first time in months, we are hopeful that our nightmare will finally be over.”

Tuesday will mark two years since Hamas' attack on Israel, which saw around 1,200 people killed and over 250 taken hostage.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

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