KUALA LUMPUR: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday he was “hopeful” about the prospect of a ceasefire in Gaza, telling reporters that negotiations were “closer” than they had been in some time.
Israel and Hamas began their latest round of talks on Sunday, with representatives seated in separate rooms within the same building.
“We’re hopeful… It appears that generally the terms have been agreed to, but obviously now you need to have talks about how you implement those terms,” Rubio said on the sidelines of a meeting of Southeast Asian countries in Malaysia.
“I think perhaps we’re closer than we’ve been in quite a while, and we’re hopeful, but we also recognise there are still some challenges in the way.”
He acknowledged that previous rounds of talks had fallen apart at similar stages.
“One of the fundamental challenges is Hamas’ unwillingness to disarm, which would end this conflict immediately,” Rubio said.
The top US diplomat added that “the Israelis have shown some flexibility”.
Hamas has said disagreements over the free flow of aid into Gaza and Israel’s military withdrawal were sticking points, as were its demands for “real guarantees” for a lasting peace.
The latest iteration of indirect negotiations, brokered by Qatar, the United States and Egypt, entered their fifth day in Doha on Thursday.
Despite a week-long truce in November 2023 and a two-month halt that began in January 2025, the back-and-forth talks, principally held in Doha and Cairo, have failed to bring about a durable end to the hostilities.
Hamas says Israeli troops main obstacle
Hamas on Thursday said it would reject any ceasefire agreement that includes a large Israeli military presence in Gaza, after offering to release some hostages.
The Palestinian group said late on Wednesday that it had agreed to release 10 people seized in its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
The United States says it is hopeful that a 60-day halt can be secured in the coming days.
But Hamas said disagreements over the free flow of aid into Gaza and Israel’s military withdrawal were sticking points, as were its demands for “real guarantees” for a lasting peace.
Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim told AFP on Thursday: “We cannot accept the perpetuation of the occupation of our land and the surrender of our people to isolated enclaves under the control of the occupation army (Israel).
“This is what the negotiating delegation is presenting to the occupation so far in the current round of negotiations in Doha.”
Israeli control over Rafah
Hamas was particularly opposed to Israeli control over Rafah, on the border with Egypt, and the Morag Corridor between the southern city and Khan Younis, the Hamas official added.
Israel announced earlier this year that the army was seizing large areas in Gaza and incorporating them into buffer zones cleared of their inhabitants, as a way of pressuring Hamas to release hostages.
Naim also said the Palestinian group wanted an end to the current delivery of aid by a US- and Israel-backed group, a system which has seen scores killed while seeking handouts.
On Thursday, eight children were among 17 killed in an Israeli strike at a medical point in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, the civil defence agency said.
The military said it had struck a Hamas fighter in the city who had infiltrated Israel during the group’s October 7, 2023, attack and that it “regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and operates to minimise harm as much as possible”, adding the incident was under review.
