Key points
- Hamas responds positively to US-backed truce proposal
- Aid, troop withdrawal, border access remain key issues
- Israel has killed 57,000 Palestinians
ISLAMABAD: Israel has decided to send a delegation to Qatar for discussions on a potential ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza, an Israeli official said, reviving hopes for a breakthrough in negotiations aimed at ending the nearly 21-month-long conflict.
The Palestinian group Hamas stated on Friday that it had responded to a US-backed ceasefire proposal for Gaza in a “positive spirit”, just days after US President Donald Trump said Israel had agreed to the “necessary conditions to finalise” a 60-day truce, according to Reuters.
The Israeli negotiation team is expected to travel to Qatar on Sunday, according to an Israeli official who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
Ongoing concerns
However, indicating the challenges that still lie ahead, a Palestinian official said concerns remain over humanitarian aid, access via the Rafah crossing from southern Israel into Egypt, and a clear timeline for Israeli troop withdrawals.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is scheduled to meet President Trump in Washington on Monday, has yet to comment publicly on Trump’s remarks. Despite recent developments, Hamas and Israel continue to express starkly different positions in their public statements.
Netanyahu has repeatedly insisted that Hamas must be disarmed — a demand the group, believed to be holding 20 living hostages, has so far refused to consider.
Hamas’ response
Israeli media reported on Friday that Israel had received and was currently reviewing Hamas’ official response to the proposed ceasefire agreement.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israel’s military assault has since claimed the lives of over 57,000 Palestinians. The offensive has also sparked a humanitarian crisis, caused mass displacement of Gaza’s entire population, and led to allegations of genocide and war crimes — accusations Israel strongly denies.
