American and Arab mediators have made significant progress towards achieving a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas - the Palestinian group designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union - and the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
However, the agreement has not yet been reached, officials said on January 13.
Four officials familiar with the matter said progress has been made and the coming days will be crucial to ending the 15-month-long fighting that has destabilized the Middle East. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media about the matter.
A US official said all sides “are closer than ever before, but everything can fall apart.” The official declined to give a timeline for a possible agreement, saying there is still uncertainty about reaching a pact.
Two other officials, including one affiliated with Hamas, said there were still challenges. Several times last year, American leaders have said they were on the verge of reaching a deal, but then talks have stalled.
Another official briefed on the talks said a draft agreement was put on the table during the overnight talks. He said Israeli and Hamas negotiators will send the proposal to their respective leaders for final approval.
Another person said that Qatari mediators have shifted the pressure on Hamas to accept the deal, while Steve Witkoff, the envoy of US President-elect Donald Trump, is putting pressure on the Israelis. Witkoff recently joined the negotiations and has been in the region in recent days. The person said that the mediators have presented the proposal to the parties and said that the next 24 hours will be crucial.
An Egyptian official also said there had been progress in the talks, but said it would take several days before the parties could reach an agreement before Trump is inaugurated as president on January 20.
An official affiliated with Hamas said on condition of anonymity that a number of issues must be resolved before an agreement can be reached, including Israel's commitment to end the war and details of the withdrawal of Israeli troops, the exchange of hostages and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, met with the Hamas delegation in Doha, along with Witkoff and President Joe Biden's Middle East envoy, Brett McGurk. Thani also spoke with Biden and stressed the urgent need for a deal.
The Biden administration, along with Egypt and Qatar, have been trying for more than a year to reach an agreement to end the bloodiest war between Israelis and Palestinians and release the hostages who were taken by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attack. During the attack, Hamas killed nearly 1,200 people and kidnapped nearly 250 others.
Meanwhile, as a result of the Israeli offensive, more than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, the enclave's Health Ministry said./REL (A2 Televizion)
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