Hamas chief meets Egyptian intelligence head to push Trump's 15-point Gaza peace plan

Talks in El-Alamein

A Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya, the movement's new political chief, met Egyptian intelligence director Hassan Rachad on Sunday, August 16, in the northern Egyptian city of El-Alamein. The discussions centered on advancing the American peace plan for Gaza, specifically a 15-point roadmap that Hamas accepted in late July. This marks al-Hayya's first visit to Egypt since his appointment as Hamas political leader at the end of July. According to the Egyptian state news agency Mena, the delegation reaffirmed its commitment to carrying out the plan of US President Donald Trump. The meeting also addressed ways to conclude the implementation of resolutions from the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit held in October, which stipulated a conditional ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.

A Hamas official told AFP that the delegation would inform Egyptian officials about Israeli violations of the October 2025 ceasefire. Al-Hayya emphasized the movement's commitment and its readiness to implement the agreement as soon as Israel announces its compliance. In his first speech as leader, al-Hayya declared that his priority is to make Israel stop attacks in Gaza and withdraw its troops from the enclave.

The 15-point roadmap

The American roadmap, designed to launch the second phase of Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, includes Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian territory, disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups, and transfer of civil control to a national governance committee. Hamas gave its agreement to the plan in late July.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially rejected the text on August 9, demanding what he called "genuine" disarmament of Hamas. Israel insists on maintaining its military presence in Gaza until Hamas completely disarms, while Hamas demands Israeli withdrawal from the enclave before laying down its weapons.

Casualties and ceasefire strain

Hamas and Israel accuse each other of violating the October 2025 ceasefire in the Palestinian territory, which was devastated by two years of war triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 1,259 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the truce began. One source cited by Notícias ao Minuto reported "more than 1,200" deaths since the ceasefire.

Diplomatic maneuvering

Jared Kushner, Trump's envoy and son-in-law, is scheduled to visit Israel and Egypt in the coming week, accompanied by Nikolai Mladenov, the senior representative for Gaza of Trump's Peace Council. The visit aims to bridge the gaps between the parties after Netanyahu's rejection of the roadmap. American and Arab media reported that Kushner has a visit scheduled to Egypt after a series of meetings with senior Israeli officials, and may meet with the Hamas negotiating delegation.

A Hamas source told AFP that contacts are underway to organize a meeting between the Hamas delegation, Mladenov, and American officials during Kushner's visit. The source also reported ongoing contacts and discussions with Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators to compel Israel to respect the agreement.

Qatar, one of the principal mediators, lamented last week that Israel continues to "delay" the implementation of the truce in Gaza "since the first day," after Tel Aviv rejected Trump's 15-point plan. Qatar called on the international community to exert pressure to ensure that the agreement is implemented.