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An Israeli delegation departed for Doha, Qatar, on Sunday to resume indirect talks with the Palestinian group Hamas for a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, Anadolu reports.
According to Israel Hayom daily, the delegation comprises government coordinator for prisoners Gal Hirsch, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political adviser Ofer Falk, and other representatives from the Mossad and Shin Bet agencies.
On Friday, Hamas said that it had delivered a “positive” response to mediators on a recent Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap proposal.
Netanyahu’s office, however, on Saturday dismissed Hamas’ proposed amendments to the ceasefire proposal as “unacceptable.”
Israeli media said that the latest proposal likely includes a phased release of half of the living Israeli hostages (10) and half of the remains (18) over 60 days.
In exchange, Israel would free a larger number of Palestinian detainees still held in its prisons, and begin partial troop withdrawals from pre‑agreed areas within Gaza.
Still, major sticking points remain as Hamas insists that the UN oversee humanitarian aid distribution, demands security guarantees against renewed hostilities after the 60‑day truce, and seeks clarity on which Palestinian prisoners will be released. Israel, meanwhile, insists on Hamas disarmament and the exile of its leaders, conditions Hamas has rejected.
An unnamed Israeli official told Yedioth Ahronoth that US President Donald Trump may announce a ceasefire agreement during his meeting with Netanyahu in Washington on Monday.
Critics in Israel and among hostage families argue that Netanyahu is prolonging the war to appease the hard‑right wing of his government and secure his political position.
Despite international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a genocidal war on Gaza, killing more than 57,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, since October 2023.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
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