Truce Agreement’s Final Draft Emerges Following ‘Breakthrough’ in Gaza Negotiations – Official
Mediators have provided Israel and Hamas with a final draft of an agreement aimed at concluding the conflict in Gaza, as reported by an official, following a “breakthrough” in discussions involving envoys from both US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump.
The official indicated that Qatar presented the text for a ceasefire and the release of hostages to both parties during negotiations in Doha, which included the heads of Israel’s Mossad and Shin Bet intelligence agencies, along with Qatar’s prime minister.
As noted by the official, Steve Witkoff, who is set to become the US envoy when Mr. Trump assumes the White House next week, participated in the discussions.
A US source mentioned that Brett McGurk, the outgoing envoy from the Biden administration, was also present during the talks.
Israel’s Kan radio reported, citing an Israeli official, that delegations from Israel and Hamas in Qatar had received a draft and that the Israeli delegation had briefed their leaders on the matter.
Requests for confirmation or comment were not answered by Israel, Hamas, or Qatar’s foreign ministry.
Officials from both sides, while refraining from confirming that a final draft has been agreed upon, described notable progress in the discussions.
A Hamas official stated, “The negotiation over some core issues made progress and we are working to conclude what remains soon.”
A senior Israeli official suggested that a deal could be finalized within a few days, pending Hamas’s response to a proposal.
A Palestinian official involved in the negotiations described the information from Doha as “very promising,” adding: “Gaps were being narrowed, and there is significant momentum toward an agreement if everything proceeds smoothly.”
The United States, Qatar, and Egypt have been engaging in talks for over a year to resolve the conflict in Gaza.
A security official in Egypt remarked that the draft does not constitute the final agreement but “aims to address the outstanding issues that have impeded previous negotiations.”
People run for cover after an Israeli airstrike on the Bureij refugee camp in Gaza
For months, the warring sides have generally agreed on the principle of stopping hostilities in exchange for the release of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian detainees in Israel.
Nonetheless, Hamas has consistently maintained that any agreement must result in a permanent end to the conflict and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, while Israel has stated it will not cease hostilities until the militant organization is dismantled.
Mr. Trump’s inauguration next Monday is regarded in the region as a crucial deadline.
The President-elect has warned that there will be “hell to pay” unless hostages held by Hamas are released before he takes office, while Mr. Biden has also urged for a resolution before leaving his position.
The official who initially disclosed the draft mentioned that Mr. Witkoff, the incoming US envoy, encouraged the Israeli delegation at the talks to finalize an agreement, with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani applying similar pressure on Hamas officials.
Hassan Mahmoud Rashad, head of Egypt’s general intelligence agency, was also present in Doha as part of the discussions, according to the official.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani urged Hamas to accept the agreement (Stock image)
Mr. Witkoff has traveled to Qatar and Israel multiple times since late November.
He was in Doha on Friday, then traveled to Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday before returning to Doha.
President Biden also communicated with Mr. Netanyahu via phone, emphasizing “the immediate need for a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of hostages, alongside a surge in humanitarian aid facilitated by a cessation of hostilities under the agreement,” as stated by the White House.
Israel commenced its military action in Gaza after Hamas fighters breached its border in October 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the abduction of over 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports.
Since that time, Palestinian health officials claim more than 46,000 people have died in Gaza, with vast portions of the territory devastated and a majority of its residents displaced.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a hardline nationalist who has opposed previous attempts at reaching a deal, condemned the latest proposals as a “surrender” and a “catastrophe for the national security of the state of Israel.”
More deaths reported in Gaza
Violence continues in Gaza, with Israeli military strikes resulting in at least 21 fatalities, as reported by medics, including five individuals who died in an attack on a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City.
In recent months, fighting has been particularly fierce along the northern edge of the territory, where Israel claims it is attempting to prevent Hamas from regrouping, while Palestinians accuse Israel of attempting to permanently depopulate a buffer zone.
The spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, Abu Ubaida, stated that the group’s fighters had engaged Israeli forces in the area, killing at least 10 soldiers and injuring many more within the last 72 hours.
Israel confirmed on Saturday that four soldiers had been killed.
