On Monday, mediators handed over to Israel and Hamas the final draft of the agreement to end the war in the Gaza Strip, Reuters reported, citing an official involved in the negotiations. A truce is likely to follow progress talks with envoys from US President Joe Biden and US President-elect Donald Trump.
A meeting of negotiators will be held in Doha on Tuesday, after which the war in Gaza could end. On Monday, mediators handed over the final draft of the agreement to Israel and Hamas, Reuters reported.
Israeli officials reported on Monday, citing the Times of Israel newspaper, that progress has been made in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
Representatives of the Doha authorities, as well as representatives of Israel (the heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet intelligence services) and the Palestinian Hamas participated in the negotiations on this issue, which took place in Qatar. Steve Witkoff, the envoy of the newly elected US President Donald Trump, also participated in the talks, a source told Reuters.
READ ALSO: Israel’s military conflicts
The White House said that US President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. Biden “stressed the urgent need for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and the return of hostages (to Israel), while increasing humanitarian aid made possible by the cessation of hostilities.”
Agreement in Qatar
On Monday, the Israeli Radio Kan, relying on its sources, reported that an agreement was reached in Qatar on Sunday night and the project was handed over to the delegations of Israel and Hamas. Representatives of Israel, Hamas and Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to media requests for clarification.
“The next 24 hours will be crucial for a deal,” an Israeli source told Reuters. A Palestinian source said in an interview with this agency that the information coming from Qatar is “very promising”.
The inauguration ceremony of Donald Trump’s presidency, which will be held on January 20 of this year, is considered by the conflicting parties as a practical deadline for concluding an agreement. During the election campaign, Trump announced that if Hamas does not release the hostages, “there will be consequences against this group.”
Biden has also pushed hard for a deal before his term ends. According to unofficial media reports, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a general ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip and Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
Hamas wants the war to end permanently
However, Hamas has demanded that the deal lead to a permanent cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian Peninsula, while Israel has said it will not end the war until Hamas is overthrown.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smoritz criticized the latest proposals on Monday, calling them “a capitulation” and “a disaster for Israel’s national security.”
The war in the Gaza Strip began in October 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel. As a result, 1200 people were killed and more than 250 people were captured. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of the conflict.
Main photo source: PAP/EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
