Sharm el-sheikh: An Israeli delegation is set to head to Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday for indirect talks concerning a prisoner exchange with Hamas as part of US President Donald Trump's Gaza plan. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced that Minister Ron Dermer will lead the delegation in the negotiations.

According to Anadolu Agency, although Dermer has been named the head of the delegation, he will not attend the opening session of the talks. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who were anticipated to join, will also be absent from the opening session in Sharm el-Sheikh.

KAN, Israel's public broadcaster, reported that Netanyahu has received approval from most senior members of his governing coalition to move forward with the initial phase of Trump's plan, despite some internal opposition. Far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir are expected to oppose the agreement in principle, though they are not likely to destabilize the coalition at this stage.

The 20-point plan unveiled by Trump on September 29 includes the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, disarmament of Hamas, and reconstruction of Gaza. While Hamas has agreed to the plan in principle, the critical next steps will be discussed in Egypt.

The ongoing conflict has seen the Israeli army kill over 67,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The continuous bombardment has left the enclave uninhabitable, leading to severe humanitarian crises including starvation and disease outbreaks.