Israel-Gaza war: truce talks set for Doha on Thursday, Hamas may not attend – sources

CIA director William Burns was also scheduled to travel to Doha for talks, according to a US source familiar with the meeting.

Israel’s prime minister has confirmed an Israeli team will attend Thursday’s talks, a statement said on Wednesday.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved the departure of the Israeli delegation to Doha tomorrow, as well as the mandate for conducting the negotiations,” a statement from his office said.

“Our Qatari partners have assured us that they are working to ensure that there is Hamas representation as well,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.

The Israelis should “come to agree on a [deal] or not come at all”, said a source close to Hamas, without specifying if the Palestinian movement will take part in the talks.

Qatar, Egypt and the United States last week called for the resumption of talks “to close all remaining gaps and commence implementation of the deal without further delay”.

A letter signed by Qatar’s emir and the presidents of the United States and Egypt said a framework agreement was “now on the table, with only the details of implementation” left to conclude.

A prospective cessation of hostilities has centred around a phased deal, beginning with an initial truce.

Palestinians walks on the rubble and debris after Israeli military bombardment, in Gaza City on July 7. Photo: AFP

Recent discussions have focused on a framework outlined by US President Joe Biden on May 31 which he said had been proposed by Israel.

Ahead of Thursday’s ceasefire talks, a Hamas official said the Islamist movement was “continuing its consultations with the mediators”.

“Hamas really wants an end to the war and a ceasefire agreement on the basis of the [Biden] plan,” another Hamas official said.

Netanyahu’s office on Tuesday detailed its conditions for a truce, including “a veto on certain prisoners” being released from its jails.

So far, there has been only one, week-long truce in the Gaza fighting, in November, when dozens of hostages in Gaza were released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Thursday’s talks come after Iran and its allies blamed Israel for the July 31 killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran during a visit for the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Hamas named Yahya Sinwar – the alleged mastermind of the October 7 attack on Israel that sparked the war – as its new leader, raising concerns the tortuous negotiations have become even more difficult.

US officials have said on several occasions in recent weeks that a deal is close, while urging both Israel and Hamas to accept the current proposal, which would lead to an initial six-week truce.

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