New Delhi, Oct. 6 -- A fragile opening in Egypt promises hostages home and guns quiet, if leaders trade rhetoric for risk.

Cairo - Delegations converged on Egypt for a fresh round of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas as Washington pressed for a rapid ceasefire that would exchange hostages for prisoners, expand aid, and map an Israeli pullback inside Gaza. The choreography is familiar, yet the tempo is faster. U.S. officials describe a narrow opening that requires decisions within days, not weeks, even as fresh strikes underline how quickly momentum can evaporate.

Egypt's role is pivotal in every version of this plan, from border logistics to sequencing. For sustained context on Cairo's incentives and constraints, readers ca...