U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, on October 8th, 2025, between 1:38 PM and 4:38 PM UTC, for Gaza ceasefire and hostage release negotiations. During this period, Israeli and American officials reported cautious optimism and good progress, with expectations of a potential agreement within days and a declaration this week. Simultaneously, the Israel Security Agency (GSS) and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the seizure of a significant Iranian arms shipment bound for militants in Judea and Samaria. Sources close to the negotiations indicated that an agreement could be reached by Friday, with the goal of declaring it this week and beginning the release of hostages next week. A senior White House official stated that conversations are progressing well and could conclude within days. The Turkish Foreign Minister suggested that a ceasefire declaration might be imminent, with Israeli executives reportedly on that schedule. The head of the Egyptian Government Press Bureau, Diaa El-Rhivan, told Channel al-Rad that negotiations are in advanced stages, focusing on Israeli withdrawal and a settlement for hostage release, emphasizing that U.S. envoys would not attend a failing negotiation. Israeli officials expressed a sentiment of careful optimism regarding the completion of the first phase of an agreement, with an Israeli senior telling Saudi Al-Ahada Channel that they are cautiously approaching the summary of the first phase of the "Trump program." A Palestinian source involved in the negotiations stated that in the last few hours, agreements may lead to a transaction acceptable to both Hamas and Israel. The seized Iranian arms shipment included 29 Claymore mines, 4 drones (two of which were explosive), 15 anti-tank rockets with an RPG launcher and three warheads, 20 hand grenades, 53 pistols, 7 assault rifles, 9 machine guns, and 750 pistol rounds, according to an Osint613 report. The operation that led to the arms seizure stemmed from an investigation that resulted in the arrest of an arms dealer from the Ramallah area, identified as a key link to smugglers and operatives within Iran's IRGC Special Operations Directorate and the Quds Force, as previously reported. The intercepted cargo is described as "balance" weapons, with specific details aligning with previous reports of the seizure. Secretary of State Rubio is scheduled to be in Paris tomorrow, Thursday, for high-level ministerial meetings on Gaza plans, including representatives from France, the UK, Germany, Gulf region countries, and Turkey. Amidst the diplomatic efforts, a report indicated that a Hamas squad left a tunnel in central Gaza and attempted to attack an IDF post, with some terrorists eliminated and others fleeing back into the tunnel. This incident occurred during the ongoing negotiations in Egypt.
