ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Three Qatari diplomats were killed and two others injured in a traffic accident near the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday, Doha’s embassy in Egypt announced, with delegations of the Gulf state in Egypt for negotiations on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. 

In a statement, the Qatari Embassy in Cairo expressed its “deepest sorrow and grief” following the car crash, which also injured two other Qatari diplomats. The embassy said it was following up on their condition and they were receiving medical treatment. 

Sharm el-Sheikh, an Egyptian resort town on the Red Sea, has been the site of talks over a peace and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, with Qatari, Egyptian, and American delegations having been involved in talks on the ceasefire, which came into effect on Friday, according to Israel. 

“The deceased and injured will be transferred to Doha on a Qatari plane,” the embassy added. 

Starting Monday, Sharm el-Sheikh will host a peace summit chaired by US President Donald Trump and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. 

Over 20 countries are expected to take part in the summit, with the main goal being to end the war in Gaza. 

On Saturday, a top Hamas official told AFP that the militant group will begin releasing Israeli hostages held in Gaza before the Monday peace summit. 

In exchange for the release of hostages, Israel has agreed to release 1,950 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 who are facing life sentences. 

The ceasefire deal has been hailed regionally and internationally as a major breakthrough aimed at ending the bloody war. It came after two years of sustained conflict in the region. According to Gaza’s health ministry, the Israeli offensive has resulted in the deaths of over 67,000 people, the majority of whom are civilians.