Hamas’s top negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, has made it clear that the Gaza-based group “does not trust the occupation, not even for a second,” highlighting deep mistrust as the Donald Trum-backed ceasefire talks in Egypt enter critical stages, according to Egyptian state-linked Al Qahera News.

“Therefore, we want real guarantees,” al-Hayya said, accusing Tel Aviv of violating two previous ceasefires. He demands concrete guarantees before any agreement, signalling that the future of Gaza, the fate of hostages and the end of a two-year war hang in the balance. “The Israeli occupation throughout history does not keep its promises, and we have experienced it twice in this war,” he has said.

Hamas insists it is ready to reach a permanent agreement to end the war immediately and carry out an exchange of captives and Palestinian prisoners with Israel. However, Israel has not so far agreed to fully withdraw its forces from Gaza, one of the main conditions for any deal.

A senior Hamas official, speaking to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations, confirmed that the second day of talks in Egypt has concluded.

The official explained that the discussions in Sharm el-Sheikh focussed on detailed withdrawal maps for Israeli forces and the scheduling of Israeli captives’ release. The Hamas delegation demanded that each stage of releasing Israeli hostages be tied directly to the stages of Israel’s military withdrawal. They emphasised that the final hostage release must coincide with the complete exit of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The delegation also stressed the importance of receiving international guarantees for a lasting ceasefire, including the removal of all Israeli soldiers from Gaza’s territory.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump was asked how he could guarantee to Arab partners that Israel would not resume fighting after all captives are released.

“So the primary guarantee is, once this deal happens, if it does happen, look, they are in negotiations right now. We are going to do everything possible. We have a lot of power, and we are going to do everything possible to make sure everybody adheres to the deal,” Trump said.

Advocates have long urged the United States to use its military aid to Israel as leverage to enforce a ceasefire. Over the two-year war, the United States has provided approximately $21.7 billion in military aid to Israel, according to the Costs of War project at Brown University.

The armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds Brigades, released a statement regarding Trump’s plan, emphasising that captives would not be freed unless Israel formally agreed to end the war. The statement read:

• Captives will not be released except through an exchange deal in which Israel commits to ending the war.
• All Palestinian factions will spare no effort to end the war and alleviate the suffering of Palestinians.
• The weapon of resistance exists to liberate the land and fight the enemy and will not be sheathed until these goals are achieved.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari shared key points from the ceasefire discussions:

• Israel should have already ceased operations in Gaza in line with Trump’s proposed plan.
• Gaza’s future must remain under Palestinian control, free from external imposition.
• Israel altered the proposal initially crafted by Arab and Muslim leaders before Trump publicly presented it.
• Talks in Egypt included “four hours of intense and meticulous discussions” to resolve remaining obstacles.
• “All parties are pushing towards reaching an agreement,” al-Ansari said.

Marking two years since the deadly Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement framing the war as a fight for Israel’s survival.

“Citizens of Israel, we are in fateful days of decision. We will continue to act to achieve all the war’s objectives: the return of all the hostages, the elimination of Hamas’s rule and ensuring that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,” Netanyahu said.

He added that Israel has “changed the face of the Middle East” and degraded Iran-aligned forces in the region. The statement did not mention ongoing ceasefire talks or the proposal requiring Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.