US special envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner will join Gaza peace plan talks between Israeli and Hamas negotiators in Egypt on Wednesday.
Their arrival comes as a second day of indirect talks on Tuesday ended without tangible results, a senior Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations told the BBC.
Trump struck a positive tone on Tuesday, as Israel marked the second anniversary of the 7 October Hamas attacks, saying there's a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not comment on the status of the talks but told Israelis they were in fateful days of decision.
In a post on X, Netanyahu added that Israel would continue to act to achieve its war aims: The return of all the kidnapped, the elimination of the Hamas regime and the promise that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel.
Witkoff and Kushner were expected to depart the US on Tuesday evening and arrive in Egypt on Wednesday, a source familiar with the talks told the BBC.
Qatar's prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, seen as a key mediator, will also join the talks, an official told the Reuters news agency.
Al Thani's attendance was aimed at pushing forward the Gaza ceasefire plan and hostage release agreement, the official said.
A senior Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations told the BBC that an evening round of indirect talks on Tuesday began at 19:00 local time (16:00 GMT).
The talks were tough and have yet to produce any real breakthrough, but mediators were working hard to narrow the gaps between the two sides.
Key issues under discussion include a permanent ceasefire, the exchange of hostages, Israeli withdrawal maps from Gaza, arrangements for humanitarian aid deliveries, and post-war governance.
With the ongoing conflict causing significant casualties in Gaza, optimism for a peaceful resolution remains fragile as all parties work to find common ground.
