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Indirect talks aimed at reaching a final agreement on a US peace plan to end the war in Gaza will continue on Tuesday in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh.
Palestinian and Egyptian officials told the BBC that the sessions have focused on "creating conditions on the ground" for a possible swap that would see the release of all Israeli hostages in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners.
Israel's prime minister said on Saturday that he hoped to announce the release of the hostages "in the coming days."
As officials met on Monday, US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that "we have a very good chance of reaching a deal and it will be a lasting deal."
Hamas has said it partially agrees with the peace plan's proposals, but has not responded to several key demands, including its disarmament and no future role in governing Gaza.
A senior Israeli security source said the talks would initially focus only on the release of the hostages and would give Hamas a few days to complete that phase.
The second day of talks, during which Egyptian and Qatari officials will hold brief meetings with delegations from Israel and Hamas separately, will take place on the second anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response. Since then, 67,160 people have been killed by Israeli military operations in Gaza, including 18,000 children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.
In a statement commemorating the October 7 anniversary, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Trump's plan "presents an opportunity that must be seized to end this tragic conflict."
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer reiterated his support for the plan in his anniversary statement, saying: "We welcome the US initiative towards peace in the Middle East and this government will do everything in our power to bring about the day when every child of Israel can live in peace, alongside their Palestinian neighbours, in safety and security."
These discussions are expected to be among the most important since the war began and could determine whether a path to ending the conflict is finally within reach.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani are among those in attendance.
Trump, writing on social media, has urged all those involved in efforts to end the war in Gaza to "move fast" and says he has been told that the first phase of the peace plan, which includes the release of hostages, "should be completed this week."
On Monday, he told reporters at the White House that "Hamas has agreed to things that are very important."
"I really think we will reach an agreement," he added.
A Palestinian official close to the negotiations told Reuters news agency that the first session ended late on Monday evening and further talks would take place on Tuesday.
The state-affiliated Al-Qahera News also said that the talks would continue on Tuesday and that the first day had ended "amid a positive atmosphere."
The 20-point plan, agreed to by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, proposes an immediate cessation of fighting and the release of 48 hostages, only 20 of whom are thought to be alive, in exchange for hundreds of detained Gazans.
The plan stipulates that once both sides agree to the proposal, "full aid will be sent immediately to the Gaza Strip."
It also states that Hamas will have no role in governing Gaza and leaves the door open for an eventual Palestinian state.
However, after the plan was publicly announced a week ago, Netanyahu reiterated his long-standing opposition to a Palestinian state, saying in a statement that "it is not written in the agreement. We said we would strongly oppose a Palestinian state."
On Friday, Hamas responded to the proposal in a statement, in which the group agreed "to release all Israeli prisoners, and return the bodies of the victims, according to the exchange formula included in Trump's proposal," if the proper conditions for the exchanges are met.
Hamas did not specifically mention or accept Trump's 20-point plan, but said it "renews its agreement to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to an independent Palestinian body of (technocrats), based on Palestinian national consensus and Arab and Islamic support."
The statement did not mention demands that Hamas agree to disarm and no longer play any role in governing Gaza.
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