Israel sending negotiators to Doha to ‘close gaps’ in deal, Israeli journalists say
Israel is preparing to send a negotiating team to Qatar, potentially as early as tomorrow, in a bid to hammer out details of a ceasefire agreement, Israeli journalists are reporting.
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported that Israel’s cabinet would discuss Hamas’s response to the ceasefire proposal tonight, and had not rejected it, believing that it was something to work with.
Barak Ravid, global affairs correspondent for Axios, posted on X that an Israeli official had told him Netanyahu had decided to send Israeli negotiators to Doha, travelling tonight or tomorrow.
He said they were heading to the Qatari capital for “proximity talks” with Hamas in a bid to “close the remaining gaps and reach an agreement on the final details of the Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal”.
Ben-Gvir calls on Netanyahu to ‘abandon path of surrender’ with Gaza ceasefire
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says the central goal of the war is the destruction of Hamas.
In a post on X, he wrote that any ceasefire agreement that would demilitarise Gaza in the future or include Israeli withdrawal from “conquered territories”, the release of Palestinian prisoners or “revitalisation of Hamas with humanitarian aid” would constitute a “reward for terrorism”.
“The only way to achieve victory and securely return our hostages is through the complete conquest of the Strip, a total cessation of ‘humanitarian’ aid, and the encouragement to emigration. I call on the prime minister to abandon the path of surrender and return to the path of victory.”
Netanyahu tells Ben-Gvir, Smotrich he will not end war without demilitarising Gaza: Report
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told hardliners in his cabinet that he will not end the war without demilitarising Gaza, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority is reporting.
The Israeli leader reportedly made the statement to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, influential far-right hawks in his cabinet, amid deliberations over a ceasefire deal over the war in Gaza.
As we reported earlier, Ben-Gvir recently posted on X that promising to demilitarise Gaza in the future and striking “a partial deal now” that included the Israeli withdrawal from “conquered territories”, the release of Palestinian prisoners or “revitalisation of Hamas with humanitarian aid” would constitute a “reward for terrorism”.
Israel says Hamas changes to ceasefire ‘unacceptable’
On X, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office says, “The changes that Hamas is seeking to make in the Qatari proposal were conveyed to us last night and are unacceptable to Israel.”
Hamas feels that the general framework of the deal is fine, but is looking for three core amendments.
They wanted talks for ending the war to happen immediately, regardless of the 60-day pause in the fighting. They want humanitarian aid to go through the channels that were there before the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation became involved. And they had requirements about where Israeli forces could be in Gaza as part of this deal.
According to the Israelis, those three amendments are unacceptable.
