Egypt, Qatar, and US delegations to meet in Doha for Gaza ceasefire talks

An Egyptian security delegation is set to meet with Qatari and US counterparts in Doha on Wednesday in attempt to revive Gaza truce negotiations, Egyptian State TV and state-affiliated Al-Qahera News TV channel said on Tuesday, citing sources.

Qatar said on Tuesday it had delivered an Israeli ceasefire proposal to Hamas that reflected a three-phase proposal presented on Friday by US President Joe Biden, and that the paper was now much closer to the positions of both sides.

Qatar, which has been mediating on Gaza between Israel and Hamas, also stressed that there should be a clear position from both parties to clinch a deal, its foreign ministry spokesperson said in a press briefing.

“The ceasefire deal should immediately end the long suffering of all people in Gaza and the hostages and their families and provide a roadmap for a permanent ceasefire and an end to the (humanitarian) crisis”, Majed al-Ansari said.

However, a spokesman for Hamas, the militant group that has ruled Gaza since 2007, reiterated on Tuesday it could not agree to any deal unless Israel makes a “clear” commitment to a permanent truce and complete withdrawal from Gaza.

For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu repeated that there can be no permanent peace unless Hamas is eradicated, as he struggles with profound political divisions at home over the US-backed truce proposal.

An aide to Netanyahu said on Sunday Israel had accepted the framework advanced by Biden, though he described it as flawed and in need of much more work.

A response Hamas on Israel’s ceasefire proposal is still being awaited, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Tuesday.

“We are waiting for a response from Hamas” through the Qatari mediators, Sullivan said.

Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry.

Israel launched the war in Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, in which militants stormed into southern Israel, killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted about 250. Around 80 hostages captured on Oct. 7 are believed to still be alive in Gaza, alongside the remains of 43 others.