This evening, the Israeli delegation will leave Doha, where talks are underway to release hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, to hold "internal consultations", the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced.
"The negotiating team will return to Israel from Qatar tonight after a week of important talks for internal consultations on the continuation of the hostage talks," the statement said.
Earlier today, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid bin Mohammed al-Ansari told a briefing that Qatari negotiators are continuing consultations aimed at implementing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas. He added that consultations are being held on Gaza "and in other directions, including in Cairo", but refrained from commenting in more detail on the subject. According to Al-Ansari, "no one can give an exact time frame for when an agreement will be reached".
On December 22, the Al Arabiya television channel, citing its source, reported that the Israeli delegation was discussing with Qatari mediators in Doha ways to reach an agreement to introduce a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and release the hostages held by Hamas. According to the channel's source, the Israeli side "sees hope" for a deal with Hamas, despite the "slim chances".
The parties failed to extend the agreement reached in late November 2023, under which 105 hostages were released after a week-long ceasefire. Israel believes that 96 of the 251 hostages taken on October 7 last year are still in Gaza. Over the past 14 months, Israel Defense Forces troops have rescued 8 hostages and recovered the bodies of 38 people.