Gaza mediators working to bridge gaps in Doha talks
Disagreements over Israeli troop presence in Gaza are blocking progress.
Over 58 000 Palestinians and 1 200 Israelis have died since the war began.
Mediators are pursuing 'innovative mechanisms' to bridge the gaps between Israeli and Hamas delegations after a week of Gaza truce talks in Qatar, an official with knowledge of the negotiations told AFP on Monday.
The indirect talks had appeared deadlocked over the weekend, with each side accusing the other of staking out positions that prevented a deal from being reached.
'Mediators are actively exploring innovative mechanisms to help bridge the remaining gaps and maintain momentum in the negotiations,' the official said, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
The talks in Doha were focused 'on the proposed maps for the redeployment of Israeli forces within Gaza', the official added.
On Saturday, Palestinian sources told AFP that Israel's proposals for keeping troops in the territory were preventing progress towards a deal.
Egypt's head of intelligence, Hassan Mahmoud Rashad, was also in Doha for the talks, meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani to discuss 'ways to coordinate the efforts of the mediators to advance the negotiation process', an official with knowledge of his visit said.
At least 58 386 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed since the start of the war, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
The war began with Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of at least 1 219 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
Of the 251 hostages seized by militants during the attack, 49 are still being held, including 27, the Israeli military says, are dead.
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