The first session of indirect ceasefire talks in Qatar between „Hamas“ and Israel ended without result, two Palestinian sources said this morning, adding that the Israeli delegation did not have sufficient authority to reach an agreement with the Palestinian militant group, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The talks resumed yesterday ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's third visit to the White House since US President Donald Trump returned to power almost six months ago.
„After the first session of indirect talks in Doha, the Israeli delegation does not have enough capacity… to reach an agreement with „Hamas“, as it has no real authority“, the sources told Reuters.
Before leaving for Washington, Netanyahu said that Israeli negotiators involved in the ceasefire talks had clear instructions to reach a ceasefire agreement on terms that Israel had accepted.
On Saturday night, crowds gathered in a Tel Aviv square near the Defense Ministry headquarters to call for a ceasefire agreement and the return of about 50 hostages still being held in Gaza. The demonstrators waved Israeli flags, chanted slogans and carried banners with pictures of the hostages.
The latest episode in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict began on October 7, 2023, when “Hamas“ attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Reuters.
About 20 of the remaining hostages are believed to be still alive. Most of the hostages were released through diplomatic negotiations, although the Israeli military also managed to free some.
The Gaza Health Ministry says Israel's military operation against the enclave has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians. It has also forced people from their homes, caused famine and devastated Gaza.