Who will the US-Israel-Hamas delegation send to negotiate in Egypt?
Delegations from Hamas, Israel, and the United States are heading to Cairo, Egypt, to try to finalize a ceasefire in Gaza, after both sides agreed to proceed with a US proposal.
According to CNN on October 5th, representing Israel in the coming days' ceasefire negotiations in Gaza will be Strategy Minister Ron Dermer, a close friend of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Dermer will lead a group of military and security officials tasked with resolving the hostage situation.
"Our goal is to limit the negotiations to just a few days," Prime Minister Netanyahu said, while announcing Dermer's role.
Mr. Dermer will lead a delegation that includes Gal Hirsch, Israel's coordinator for prisoners and missing persons; Major General Nitzan Alon, head of the army's hostage unit; and a representative from the Shin Bet security agency.
On the Hamas side, the group sent a delegation to the Egyptian capital on the evening of October 4th, according to a senior Hamas official who spoke to CNN.
According to this official, Egypt will hold a separate "internal Palestinian dialogue" where Palestinian forces can decide the post-war future of Gaza.
On the US side, President Donald Trump sent his special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, along with his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
As officials from Hamas, Israel, and the United States arrived in Cairo to try to finalize a ceasefire agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump warned Palestinian fighters that he "will not tolerate delays."
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed hope that all Israeli hostages could be released within days, while President Isaac Herzog expressed full support for ceasefire efforts, although the initial withdrawal route proposed by the US might pose a hurdle.
Earlier, in a video posted to the social media platform Truth Social on the evening of October 3rd, President Donald Trump called the event a "big day," adding: "In many ways, it's unprecedented."
"Everyone has united in wanting this war to end and to see peace in the Middle East, and we are very close to achieving that," Trump said.
In his video statement, President Trump personally thanked Qatar, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan for their efforts to mediate peace, but he did not mention Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
According to CNN, Trump's message remains clear: After publicly pressuring Hamas to accept the plan, including issuing an ultimatum—agree or face "all hell" in Gaza—Trump has essentially handed the task to Israel to end their war. This is the first time President Trump has explicitly told Israel to stop its fierce attacks on Gaza.