A senior Hamas official said a new round of indirect talks on a ceasefire in Gaza resumed in Qatar on Friday, adding that the Palestinian group is seeking a deal as soon as possible.
Senior Hamas official Basem Naim said the new round of discussions will focus on a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, Reuters reported.
While on-and-off talks have been taking place for a year in Doha, a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel has been elusive.
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On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved a delegation to resume Gaza ceasefire negotiations, even as he continues to publicly rule out a permanent end to the war.
Hamas and Israel were in negotiations in December to reach a ceasefire deal, but while reports at the time appeared to show progress in striking a deal, the Palestinian group accused Israeli negotiators of putting forward “new conditions” that delayed coming to an agreement.
Israel rebuffed those accusations, saying it was Hamas that was creating “new obstacles” to a ceasefire.
The US and Israel have long insisted Hamas is an obstacle to a ceasefire, but analysts say Netanyahu has shown little interest in striking an agreement.
Throughout 2024, the US and Israel insisted that the late Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar was the main obstacle to a ceasefire. But two months ago, Israeli forces killed Sinwar in a firefight, and a ceasefire is still nowhere in sight.
US President-elect Donald Trump will return to office on 20 January and has threatened “hell to pay” if a deal to release the remaining hostages is not achieved before he assumes office.
Israel’s war on Gaza has decimated the enclave’s civilian infrastructure, and Israeli forces continue to target hospitals while also killing journalists.
According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the war has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, while some 11,000 are missing and believed to be under the rubble. At least 100,000 have been forced to flee Gaza as Israel’s campaign of destruction continues to devastate the enclave.
