CAIRO / ISTANBUL

Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas began Monday in Egypt’s Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh to prepare the ground for a prisoner exchange, Egyptian media said.

The state-run Al-Qahera News channel, citing Egyptian sources, said the talks are part of Egypt’s efforts to implement US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan.

“Mediators from Egypt and Qatar are making major efforts to establish a mechanism for the release of prisoners,” the sources added.

An Israeli negotiating team arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh early Monday for the ceasefire talks. The Hamas delegation, headed by the group’s leader Khalil al-Hayya, arrived on Sunday.

Earlier on Saturday, Egypt's Foreign Ministry announced that it will host Israeli and Hamas delegations on Monday to discuss prisoner exchange details in accordance with Trump's ceasefire plan to end the Gaza war.

On Sept. 29, Trump unveiled the 20-point plan, which includes the release of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, Hamas disarmament, and Gaza reconstruction. Hamas has agreed to the plan in principle and is discussing the next steps in Egypt.

Since October 2023, Israeli bombardment has killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in Gaza, and most of the infrastructure has been reduced to rubble.