Israel is to send a delegation to Qatar on Sunday as part of a fresh bid to restart stalled talks on a Gaza ceasefire and possible hostage exchange, an Israeli official said. The initiative was a sign of guarded optimism for a breakthrough in the 21-month conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The development comes after Hamas announced that it had reacted with a “positive spirit” to a US-sponsored ceasefire plan, days after President Donald Trump asserted Israel had consented to the terms under which a 60-day truce was possible.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said nothing publicly about Trump’s statement, a senior Israeli official authenticated the delegation’s planned visit to Doha, underscoring the sensitivity of the current talks.
But major obstacles still exist. A high-ranking Palestinian official linked to Hamas mentioned some of these issues as still unsolved, such as the passage of humanitarian aid, entry through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, and a clear timetable for Israeli withdrawals from Gaza.
Although public rhetoric by both Hamas and Israeli officials continues to conflict, Israeli media on Friday reported that the government had received Hamas’s reply and was reviewing its contents.
Netanyahu, who will see Trump in Washington on Monday, has repeatedly insisted that dismantling Hamas is a non-negotiable requirement something the militant group has so far refused to discuss. Hamas is said to be holding around 20 hostages,.
The ongoing war broke out on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack against southern Israel and killed approximately 1,200 individuals and took 251 hostages, as per Israeli estimates. Israel’s military response has since claimed more than 57,000 Palestinian lives, as per Gaza’s health ministry, and initiated a humanitarian crisis characterized by stringent food shortages and mass displacement.
Israel rejects allegations of genocide and war crimes associated with its military action.
