Tel Aviv (TDI): Israeli officials taking part in the Qatar‑based mediation effort say the distance between their side and Hamas can be closed, yet a final agreement is not expected in the next few days.
Since Sunday, American, Qatari, and Egyptian envoys have been shuttling between delegations in Doha, trying to end the war that has devastated Gaza. The talks gathered pace as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed for Washington.
Netanyahu met President Donald Trump on Monday; ahead of the meeting, Trump predicted a cease‑fire‑and‑hostage deal could emerge this week. The Israeli leader is also scheduled to see Vice‑President J.D. Vance on Tuesday.
The White House says Trump adviser Steve Witkoff, an architect of the current proposal, will fly to Doha later this week to join the mediators.
Read More: Gaza Truce Talks: Netanyahu Pins Hope on Trump
Under the plan on the table, hostages would be freed in stages, Israeli troops would pull back from parts of Gaza, and separate talks would address a permanent end to the war, Reuters reported.
Hamas insists the fighting must be formally ended before it releases the remaining captives. Israel maintains it will not halt operations until every hostage is freed and Hamas is dismantled. Israeli intelligence believes roughly twenty of the fifty or so captives still held in Gaza are alive.
Palestinian officials add that disagreements persist over the scale and timing of humanitarian aid entering the enclave.
Read More: Hamas Ready for Immediate Gaza Ceasefire Talks
Senior Israeli officials briefing reporters in Washington acknowledged progress but warned that ironing out details in Doha could stretch beyond this week. Security‑cabinet member Zeev Elkin told Israel’s Kan radio there is “a substantial chance” of a deal, but Hamas is still seeking changes on several key points.
The conflict began on 7 October 2023 when Hamas‑led gunmen killed about 1,200 people in Israel and took 251 hostages into Gaza. Israel’s response has since killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health authorities, displaced most of the territory’s two million residents, and left large swaths of the enclave in ruins.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
