Gaps in Gaza ceasefire talks underway in Qatar between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas may be filling, but it may take more than a few days to reach an agreement, Israeli officials said, Reuters News Agency quoted.
A new push by American, Qatari and Egyptian mediators to stop fighting in the embattled enclave has gained momentum since Sunday, when the warring parties began indirect talks in Doha and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Washington.
Netanyahu met with US President Donald Trump on Monday, who said on the eve of their meeting that a ceasefire and a deal on hostages could be reached this week. The Israeli leader was scheduled to meet with Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday.
Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, who played a major role in drafting the ceasefire proposal, will travel to Doha this week to join discussions there, White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt told reporters earlier Monday.
The ceasefire proposal calls for a gradual release of hostages, a withdrawal of Israeli troops from parts of Gaza, and discussions to end the war altogether. Hamas has long demanded that the fighting cease before releasing the remaining hostages; Israel has insisted that it will not agree to a ceasefire until all hostages are released and Hamas disbands. At least 20 of the 50 remaining hostages in Gaza are believed to be still alive.
Meanwhile, Palestinians have long sought to establish an independent state in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem through a US-brokered peace process. Many Palestinians accuse Israel of methodically undermining their prospects for statehood by expanding settlement construction in the West Bank and leveling much of Gaza during the current war. Israel denies the charge, saying it is fighting only to eliminate Palestinian militants it says pose an existential threat and that this has historical and biblical roots in the West Bank. Displacement is one of the most emotional issues for Palestinians, who fear a repeat of the 1948 “Nakba” (catastrophe), when hundreds of thousands of people were uprooted from their homes in Israel’s war of independence. (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
