Progress reported in Qatar talks on Gaza ceasefire, hostage deal: Israeli official

Negotiators have made "substantial progress" in talks in Qatar on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, though no agreement has been achieved yet, an Israeli official said Monday.

The talks in Doha aim to end the more than 15 months of deadly war between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli delegation, led by Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet domestic security agency head Ronen Bar, arrived in Doha on Saturday for discussions with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff and Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

"It seems the direction is positive," the official said on condition of anonymity, adding that Israel had made "concessions" in pursuit of an agreement and was awaiting Hamas' response.

Should both sides agree, the details of the deal could be finalized "within days," the official said.

Meanwhile, an Israeli government official denied media reports according to which Qatar has submitted "a final" draft agreement to both Israel and Hamas, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported.

The proposed deal reportedly includes three stages, during which Hamas will release the hostages in return for a ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.

One sticking point in the indirect negotiations has been the nature of the ceasefire. Hamas demands a permanent truce, while Israel seeks a temporary pause, maintaining the option to resume military operations if necessary for security reasons.

Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage. The Gaza-based health authorities reported Sunday that the Israeli strikes have killed at least 46,565 people.