Sticking Points in Gaza Peace Talks: Key Issues to Resolve

Fri Oct 10 2025 19:17:16 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

As negotiators from Israel and Hamas meet in Egypt to discuss peace, several contentious issues remain, including hostage release, disarmament, governance of Gaza, and military withdrawal. The negotiations, centering around Donald Trump's peace plan, face skepticism amid a backdrop of distrust between the parties.

Israeli and Hamas negotiators are making strides towards a peace deal in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. However, crucial sticking points such as the release of hostages, Hamas disarmament, future governance of Gaza, and the extent of Israeli military withdrawal persist. With Trump's 20-point peace plan as a framework, both sides must navigate existing tensions and historical grievances to find a resolution.

Negotiators from Israel and Hamas are heading to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, to start indirect talks over an end to the Israel-Gaza war. It is the closest both sides have come to a deal since the war began two years ago.

But Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan - which Israel has agreed to and Hamas has partly agreed to - is really just a framework, only a few pages long. And there are still major sticking points for both sides to resolve.

Hostage release structure

Trump's plan states that within 72 hours of a deal being agreed all remaining hostages would be released. It is thought 48 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

Trump stated over the weekend that the hostages could be released very soon, while Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu mentioned they might be freed before the end of the Jewish holiday, Sukkot, on October 13th.

Hamas has tentatively agreed to the hostage exchange formula in Trump's plan, contingent on certain field conditions being met. However, the hostages are the group's sole bargaining chip, raising questions about their release before finalizing other deal components.

Trust between the two sides remains virtually non-existent. Just last month, Israel attempted to assassinate Hamas's negotiating team with an airstrike on Doha, straining relations further.

Hamas disarmament

Israel has sought the destruction of Hamas throughout the war, with Netanyahu asserting his resolve to see the group eliminated. A crucial aspect of Trump's plan demands Hamas's disarmament, which the group has historically resisted until a Palestinian state is established.

In their response, Hamas did not reference disarmament, suggesting no evolution in their stance. Netanyahu reiterated his commitment, declaring that Hamas will be disarmed and Gaza will be demilitarized – either the easy way or the hard way.

Future governance of Gaza

The plan stipulates that Hamas will have no future role in Gaza's governance, which will instead be managed by a transitional body of Palestinian technocrats, overseen by a board led by Trump and including former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Eventually, governance would transition to the Palestinian Authority (PA). However, despite having agreed to Trump's 20-point plan, Netanyahu resisted PA involvement, a key concern for ultranationalist members of his coalition.

Hamas indicated a desire for a continued role in Gaza as part of a unified Palestinian movement, a notion likely fraught with tension for Trump and the Israelis.

Israeli withdrawal

The degree of Israeli military withdrawal constitutes another major point of contention. The plan suggests a withdrawal based on standards, milestones, and timeframes agreed upon by all parties.

A map from the White House proposed several stages of withdrawal, which left a substantial portion of Gaza under Israeli control initially, with vague timelines that Hamas seeks further clarity on.

The White House's described withdrawals do not align with the Israeli military's specifications, complicating the peace process.