Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya has stated the movement is engaged in "serious and responsible" talks but demands "real guarantees" that Israel will not resume its war on Gaza once a ceasefire takes effect.

The high-stakes indirect talks, which entered their second day on Tuesday, are centered on a 20-point plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. The negotiations have drawn senior international mediators to the Egyptian resort town, with the Qatari Prime Minister and senior U.S. envoys scheduled to join the talks on Wednesday, signaling a potential breakthrough.

The negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh represent the most promising effort in months to halt a conflict that has exacted a horrific human toll. According to Gaza health authorities, the Israeli assault has killed approximately 67,000 Palestinians. A UN inquiry and numerous human rights experts have stated the campaign amounts to genocide, a charge Israel denies, saying its actions are self-defense following the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.

The talks have gained urgency on the second anniversary of the war's start, with global protests demanding an end to the fighting and Israeli hostage families pleading for the return of their loved ones .

In his remarks, Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas's top negotiator, articulated a clear set of objectives for the Palestinian delegation, rooted in achieving fundamental Palestinian rights.

Al-Hayya affirmed that Hamas came to Egypt with the "direct goal of ending the war, the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation from Gaza, and a full prisoner exchange". He emphasized that the release of the last Israeli hostage must coincide with the final withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.

A central theme of al-Hayya's comments is a deep-seated distrust of Israel. He stressed that Hamas "does not trust the occupation, not even for a second," citing Israel's violation of two previous ceasefire agreements during the war. "We want procedures and guarantees from the sponsoring countries and from President Trump so that the war will stop and not return," al-Hayya stated. He seeks commitments that the ceasefire will be permanent and that the war will not be restarted.

Beyond the immediate ceasefire, al-Hayya framed the negotiations as part of a larger struggle for national liberation. He stated the delegation carries the goals of the Palestinian people for "stability, freedom, the establishment of a state and self-determination". He added that Hamas seeks "the immediate start of a comprehensive reconstruction process" under Palestinian supervision.

The demand for a lasting peace is felt acutely in Gaza, where the conflict has inflicted a generational catastrophe. According to Palestinian officials, the war has killed so many children that it amounts to one child every 52 minutes. Over 20,000 children are among the dead, and more than 58,000 have been orphaned. The Israeli military campaign has rendered most of the coastal enclave uninhabitable, displacing nearly the entire population and triggering a starvation crisis.

Even as talks proceeded, Israeli attacks continued across Gaza on Tuesday, resulting in more Palestinian casualties and underscoring the urgent need for a ceasefire. (ILKHA)