Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas are being held in the Egyptian tourist resort of Sharm El-Sheik, where the mediating countries Egypt and Qatar are also present. Turkish delegates are also expected to join the talks on Wednesday, according to AFP.
On the agenda is Trump's 20-point plan for peace.
Exchanged lists
A representative of Hamas states that there is some optimism among the parties about being able to reach a ceasefire. Lists of prisoners and hostages to be released if an agreement is reached have been exchanged, according to Hamas representative Taher al-Nunu, according to Reuters.
Previously, it has been reported that the talks are taking place in a positive spirit. Donald Trump said on Tuesday that there is a "real chance" that an agreement will be reached and that the US will do "everything possible" to prevent Israel from resuming the war if the parties succeed in reaching a ceasefire.
The first phase of the peace process involves Hamas releasing its hostages, in exchange for Israel releasing a large number of high-profile prisoners and its forces withdrawing from the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, information from Turkey may provide a hint of optimism. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that Donald Trump recently asked Turkey to "persuade" Hamas to accept his peace plan for the Gaza war, according to information from his office.
"Both during our visit to the US and in our latest phone call, we explained to Mr. Trump how a solution can be reached in Palestine. He specifically asked us to meet with Hamas and persuade them," Erdogan told Turkish journalists on a plane, according to a transcript released by the presidential office and reported by AFP.
Two years
Donald Trump met with leaders from several Arab countries during the so-called UN week in New York at the end of September. He then discussed his 20-point plan for peace in Gaza. The meeting was also attended by Turkey's Erdogan, who later called the meeting "fruitful" without elaborating further.
On Tuesday, it was two years since the terrorist-stamped Hamas' large-scale attack on Israel, which triggered the war. Over 67,000 Gaza residents have been killed by Israel, according to Hamas-controlled authorities, which do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The proposal that US President Donald Trump has put forward for peace in Gaza consists of 20 points.
They were developed in consultation with several influential countries from the Arab and Muslim world. Trump then met with Israel's Prime Minister, who accepted the proposal, with some minor adjustments.
The proposal stipulates, above all, an immediate end to the war, the release of all hostages held by Hamas, independent distribution of emergency aid to Gaza's population, a gradual withdrawal of Israel's military, and the disarmament of Hamas.
After that, a technocratic transitional government will take over, with international forces in place and a governing council with Donald Trump as chairman. Gaza "will be a deradicalized, terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors" and will be rebuilt "for the benefit of Gaza's population".
