Negotiations for a possible Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement are expected to restart in Doha in the coming days, according to officials from the US, Israel, and Qatar.
A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned that an Israeli delegation will be heading to Qatar on Sunday.
It remains uncertain if Hamas has agreed to take part in the discussions.
The US is optimistic that the passing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar last week – seen as one of the organization’s most radical members – could pave the way for an agreement, although Hamas has accused Israel of being the main obstacle to any deal.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated to reporters, “With Sinwar gone, there is a real opportunity to bring [the hostages] home and to achieve the goal.”
That goal, according to Mr. Blinken, was to reach an agreement “so that Israel can withdraw, so that Hamas cannot reassemble, and so that the Palestinian people can reconstruct their lives and futures.”
Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani mentioned that Qatari mediators had resumed talks with Hamas following Sinwar’s death, but there was “no clarity” on the group’s current plans regarding ceasefire negotiations.
“There has been engagement with representatives from the political office in Doha. We had some meetings with them in the past few days,” he said, adding that Egypt was also in “continual” discussions with Hamas.
A Hamas delegation met with Egyptian intelligence officials in Cairo on Thursday evening to discuss the situation in Gaza, as reported by one senior Palestinian official and one Egyptian official to the BBC.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared in a post on X that he appreciates Egypt’s “readiness to push forward a deal for the release of the hostages.”
Previous discussions about the long-awaited deal have focused on a proposal from US President Joe Biden in May, which was positively received by Hamas.
The proposal outlined a three-step plan starting with a six-week ceasefire, during which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would withdraw from populated areas of Gaza.
It also included a “surge” of humanitarian aid and an exchange of some hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
This would ideally lead to a permanent “cessation of hostilities” and a significant reconstruction plan for Gaza.
However, talks hit a roadblock, with Netanyahu’s insistence on an Israeli troop presence on the Gaza-Egypt border, known as the Philadelphi corridor, being a key issue.
Blinken is on his 11th visit to the Middle East since the beginning of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas over a year ago, and is expected to conclude his trip on Friday.
During his visit, he announced an additional $135 million in aid “for humanitarian assistance, water, sanitation, maternal health for Palestinians in Gaza, in the West Bank, as well as in the region”, bringing the total US aid since the start of the conflict to around $1.2 billion.
Additional reporting by Rushdi Abualouf