Hamas has made a significant adjustment toward a potential hostage release deal with Israel, creating hope for an eventual permanent ceasefire on Thursday, according to a senior US administration official.
“We’ve had a breakthrough,” said the US official during a conference call with reporters, quoted by Reuters. However, he cautioned that a final deal is not expected to be reached within days.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to send a delegation to resume stalled negotiations, encouraged by US President Joe Biden.Netanyahu also called a meeting of his security cabinet for late Thursday to discuss new proposals from Hamas. These proposals have been sent through Qatari and Egyptian mediators, according to reports. “We do believe there is a pretty significant opening here, and we welcome the prime minister’s readiness to try to seize that opening by empowering his negotiating team to engage directly,” also said the US official.
Netanyahu’s decision to send a team has also been positively received by Biden, who sees it as an essential step forward. He expressed support for Israel’s decision to send a delegation during a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the White House. He welcomed the participation of Israeli negotiators in discussions with mediators to finalize an agreement. “The president welcomed the prime minister’s decision to authorize his negotiators to engage with US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators in an effort to close out the deal,” the White House said in a statement.
The negotiations are set to take place in Doha in the coming days. Israeli intelligence chief David Barnea is reportedly traveling to Doha for discussions aimed at securing a truce and a hostage release deal with Hamas. “An Israeli delegation headed by David Barnea is travelling to Qatar in a continuation of talks on a ceasefire and hostage deal. He will meet with the Qatari prime minister for discussions aiming to bring the parties closer to a deal in Gaza,” according to AFP sources.
A source in the Israeli negotiating team also told Reuters that, “The proposal put forward by Hamas includes a very significant breakthrough.”
“We’ve had a breakthrough,” said the US official during a conference call with reporters, quoted by Reuters. However, he cautioned that a final deal is not expected to be reached within days.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to send a delegation to resume stalled negotiations, encouraged by US President Joe Biden.Netanyahu also called a meeting of his security cabinet for late Thursday to discuss new proposals from Hamas. These proposals have been sent through Qatari and Egyptian mediators, according to reports. “We do believe there is a pretty significant opening here, and we welcome the prime minister’s readiness to try to seize that opening by empowering his negotiating team to engage directly,” also said the US official.
Netanyahu’s decision to send a team has also been positively received by Biden, who sees it as an essential step forward. He expressed support for Israel’s decision to send a delegation during a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the White House. He welcomed the participation of Israeli negotiators in discussions with mediators to finalize an agreement. “The president welcomed the prime minister’s decision to authorize his negotiators to engage with US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators in an effort to close out the deal,” the White House said in a statement.
The negotiations are set to take place in Doha in the coming days. Israeli intelligence chief David Barnea is reportedly traveling to Doha for discussions aimed at securing a truce and a hostage release deal with Hamas. “An Israeli delegation headed by David Barnea is travelling to Qatar in a continuation of talks on a ceasefire and hostage deal. He will meet with the Qatari prime minister for discussions aiming to bring the parties closer to a deal in Gaza,” according to AFP sources.
A source in the Israeli negotiating team also told Reuters that, “The proposal put forward by Hamas includes a very significant breakthrough.”
