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Qatar-Saudi boost to US proposal drives Israel-Hamas ceasefire, hostage talks to a breakthrough
Relatives and supporters of hostages held in Gaza since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas protest for the release of all hostages outside the headquarters of the Likud Party, in Tel Aviv, Israel. Reuters
As US President Donald Trump declared a breakthrough in Gaza ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas earlier this week, Qatar and Saudi Arabia worked behind the scenes to chart out the deal. The two Gulf countries have been wearing the mediator hat since the war began in 2023 and were behind the successful execution of the temporary truce in January.
Now, as another ceasefire proposal gains momentum, focus is back on Qatar, Saudi and the US on how soon it can be implemented. It's a race against time as more and more people lose their lives in Gaza. Yesterday, at least 70 people died as a result of Israeli airstrikes in the Palestinian region.
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The latest ceasefire proposal is a joint diplomatic effort by the US, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. While mediators from Qatar and Egypt are central to the talks, Hamas is expected to deliver its official response on the ceasefire deal soon.
What would the truce entail?
A Palestinian source familiar with the mediated negotiations told AFP that 'there are no fundamental changes in the new proposal' under discussion compared to previous terms presented by the United States.
The source said that the new proposal 'includes a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release half of the living Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip, in exchange for Israel releasing a number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees'.
Out of 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants in October 2023, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27, the Israeli military says, are dead.
Hamas has also promised not to hold public hostage handover ceremonies, a major demand from Israel and the US after the events drew widespread condemnation from observers across the world.
Hamas considers truce deal
Hamas is reportedly satisfied with the plan's language, especially US guarantees about continued negotiations to end the war. It said that it was 'conducting national consultations to discuss' the proposals submitted in negotiations mediated by Qatar and Egypt.
Trump on Tuesday urged Hamas to accept a 60-day ceasefire, saying that Israel had agreed to finalise such a deal.
Hamas said in a statement that it was studying the latest proposals and aiming 'to reach an agreement that guarantees ending the aggression, achieving the withdrawal (of Israeli forces from Gaza) and urgently aiding our people in the Gaza Strip'.
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Netanyahu vows to uproot Hamas
On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to eradicate Hamas if talks fail. Israel has agreed to a partial withdrawal and increased humanitarian aid, but is not committing to a permanent end to the conflict.
Netanyahu has come under strong pressure to get the hostages back after US President Donald Trump said Israel had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire with Palestinian militant group Hamas that could lead to their release.
'I feel a deep commitment, first and foremost, to ensure the return of all our abductees, all of them,' Netanyahu told inhabitants of the Nir Oz kibbutz, the community that saw the most hostages seized in the 2023 Hamas attacks that sparked the war.
With inputs from agencies
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