Hamas calls for swift captive-prisoner swap as talks set to begin

Hamas on Sunday called for a swift start to a captive-prisoner exchange with Israel, as negotiators from both sides prepared to meet in Egypt for crucial talks aimed at ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza.

Foreign ministers from several countries, including Egypt, said the talks were a "real opportunity" to achieve a sustainable ceasefire.

"Hamas is very keen to reach an agreement to end the war and immediately begin the prisoner exchange process in accordance with the field conditions," a senior Hamas official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The diplomatic push follows Hamas' positive response to US President Donald Trump's roadmap for an end to the fighting and the release of captives in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday urged Israel to stop bombing Gaza ahead of the discussions in Egypt.

"You can't release hostages in the middle of strikes, so the strikes will have to stop," Rubio told CBS.

"There can't be a war going on in the middle of it."