Three days of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Doha have not led to any breakthroughs, with both Qatar and Israel indicating that more time is needed. Meanwhile, the people of Gaza continue to endure the devastating consequences of bombings and blockades.
Steve Witkoff, the envoy for President Donald Trump, expressed hope yesterday for a 60-day ceasefire agreement to be reached by the end of the week.
“We aim for a lasting peace in Gaza, and our goal is to resolve the conflict authentically,” he stated. A new round of negotiations commenced on Sunday after mediators presented a new proposal to both parties, reportedly based on Witkoff’s suggestions.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majid Al-Ansari, said, “I can’t specify a timeline right now, but I can say that it will take time.”
According to a source familiar with the ceasefire talks, “there has been no progress so far.” The source told AFP, “No breakthroughs have been reached yet, and negotiations are ongoing.”
The discussions have reportedly focused on the mechanisms for the withdrawal of Israeli military forces from Gaza, the introduction of aid, and the ceasefire. The source described the negotiations as “challenging” and added that “Hamas is serious about reaching an agreement, and it is hoped that the U.S. will pressure Israel to achieve a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange.”
Trump and Netanyahu
Simultaneously, President Donald Trump expressed his confidence in the potential for an agreement to be reached.
He acknowledged the dire situation in Gaza and committed to resolving the “conflict in Gaza permanently.” Trump held discussions early yesterday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
When asked whether ongoing battles in Gaza would disrupt talks aimed at achieving a truce, Trump told reporters at the White House, “They (Hamas) want to meet, and they want this ceasefire.”
White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt mentioned to reporters that Witkoff would travel to Doha this week to participate in the discussions.
Ongoing Bombings
In the meantime, 41 Palestinians lost their lives, and several others were injured in ongoing Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip yesterday, including six who died during an attack on a group of Palestinians in the Al-Rimal neighborhood in western Gaza City.
Additionally, 12 Palestinians, including six former prisoners released in 2011, were killed and others injured in an Israeli drone strike targeting tents of displaced persons in the Sanabel area near the Kuwaiti Hospital in the Al-Mawasi region west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
The Israeli military acknowledged that five of its soldiers were killed and 14 others were wounded in northern Gaza during one of the fiercest assaults on Israeli forces there. They stated that the soldiers, aged between 20 and 28, “fell during combat in the northern part of the region” on Monday.
Israeli military correspondents reported that the soldiers were killed and injured in an ambush involving explosive devices, coinciding with an anti-tank missile attack in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza. While evacuating injured personnel, the soldiers came under fire.
Reuters reported Israeli officials as saying that gaps between the two sides could potentially be bridged, but it may take longer than just a few days to reach an agreement.