Gaza ceasefirehopes rise

Mediators present final draft for Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostages release, nearing deal.

Listen to article

DOHA/ CAIRO:

Mediators gave Israel and Hamas a final draft of a deal on Monday to end the war in Gaza, an official briefed on the negotiations said, after a midnight 'breakthrough' in talks attended by envoys of both Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

The official said the text for a ceasefire and release of hostages was presented by Qatar to both sides at talks in Doha, which included the chiefs of Israel's Mossad and Shin Bet spy agencies and Qatar's prime minister. Steve Witkoff, who will become US envoy when Trump returns to the US presidency next week, attended the talks, the official said.

A US source said the outgoing Biden administration's envoy Brett McGurk was also there. "The next 24 hours will be pivotal to reaching the deal," the official said, characterising the draft as the outcome of a breakthrough reached in the early hours of Monday.

Israel's Kan radio, citing an Israeli official, reported on Monday that Israeli and Hamas delegations in Qatar had both received a draft, and that the Israeli delegation had briefed Israel's leaders. Israel, Hamas and the foreign ministry of Qatar did not respond to requests for confirmation or comment.

Officials on both sides, while stopping short of confirming that a final draft had been reached, described progress at the talks. "The negotiation over some core issues made progress and we are working to conclude what remains soon," a Hamas official told Reuters on Monday, asking not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the negotiations were being coordinated between Biden's and Trump's teams. "There is progress, it looks much better than previously. I want to thank our American friends for the huge efforts they are investing to secure a hostage deal," Saar told a news conference.

The United States, Qatar and Egypt have worked for more than a year on talks to end the war in Gaza, so far fruitlessly. In Cairo, an Egyptian security official told Reuters the draft sent to the two warring sides did not comprise the final agreement but "aims to resolve outstanding issues that had hindered previous negotiations".