Gaza ceasefire talks resume – Hamas

A deal to end the 14-month conflict with Israel is within reach, a senior official with the militant group has claimed

International mediators have renewed negotiations with Hamas and Israel to halt the conflict in Gaza, according to a senior official with the militant group, Bassem Naim, as cited by the Associated Press.

Qatar halted mediation in November, citing frustration over a lack of progress, claiming the parties were not negotiating in good faith.

There has been a “reactivation” of efforts in recent days to stop the fighting, release hostages from Gaza, and free Palestinian prisoners in Israel, Naim told AP in Türkiye, expressing hope that a deal to end the hostilities was within reach.

“I think it is not a big challenge to reach a deal… if there are intentions on the other side,” the official said, emphasizing that no “solid, well-formed” new ceasefire proposal has yet been presented to Hamas.

According to another official who spoke with AP on condition of anonymity, Qatari mediators have returned to the talks.

In an interview with British broadcaster Sky News on Wednesday, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said officials are planning to reach a ceasefire before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.

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Previous rounds of peace talks between Hamas and Israel were concentrated on variations of a proposal calling for a multi-phased ceasefire. It would start with a preliminary six-week halt in fighting during which female, elderly, and sick hostages could be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. At the same time, Israel would pull back some of its military forces, allowing displaced Palestinians to return home. 

The next phase is expected to include the full withdrawal of Israeli forces, the release of the remaining hostages, and agreement on the terms of a permanent end to the war. A final phase was suggested to focus on reconstruction.

Over 44,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the fighting broke out between Hamas and Israel 14 months ago. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operation in the Palestinian enclave was triggered by a surprise Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which left around 1,200 Israelis dead. The group took more than 250 hostages, around 100 of whom are believed to still be held in Gaza.

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Earlier this week, Reuters cited sources close to the matter as reporting that Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy had traveled to Qatar and Israel to kick-start the president-elect’s diplomatic push to reach a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal before his inauguration.

Naim also said that he believes that the incoming US administration could “affect the situation positively” given that Trump, a stalwart supporter of Israel, had made halting wars in the region part of his election campaign.