On Monday, January 13th, negotiations regarding a ceasefire in Gaza have reportedly made a breakthrough, with a draft ceasefire agreement now being formulated. According to sources familiar with the negotiations, Qatar has presented a draft proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release to the representatives of Israel and Hamas during talks in Doha, and they are set to submit the draft to their respective leadership for final approval in the crucial next 24 hours.
The sources revealed that Qatar’s mediators have applied new pressure on Hamas to accept the agreement, while Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of U.S. President-elect Trump, has been urging the Israeli side. An American official mentioned that Brett McGurk, the outgoing special envoy of the Biden administration, also participated in the discussions.
An Egyptian official stated that despite positive progress made the previous night, it may still take a few more days, with the goal on both sides being to reach an agreement before Trump’s inauguration on January 20th. Another official indicated that while negotiations are advancing well, they are not yet concluded, but it is possible to reach an agreement before the inauguration ceremony.
Trump had previously posted on the “Truth Social” platform that if Hamas does not release all hostages before the inauguration on January 20th, they will “pay a heavy price,” while outgoing President Biden is also working towards achieving an agreement before his term ends.
Participants in the meetings include heads of Israeli intelligence agencies Mossad and Shin Bet, Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate chief Hassan Mahmoud Rashad, and Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
When asked about the talks, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated at a press conference, “Progress has been made, and I hope we will see results soon. But this still needs to be confirmed.”
A Hamas official mentioned that some contentious issues still need to be resolved, including Israeli commitments to cease strikes against Hamas, details about Israeli troop withdrawal, and the specifics of a hostage-prisoner exchange. Egyptian officials also confirmed that these issues are still under discussion.
Israel and Hamas have been engaged in indirect talks for over a year aimed at ending the Gaza conflict and rescuing dozens of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
The United States, Qatar, and Egypt have been engaged in intense mediation efforts, but the talks have repeatedly stalled due to several key issues, including a permanent ceasefire, Israeli troop withdrawal, and resolving the hostage situation.
In October 2023, the Palestinian armed group Hamas suddenly launched thousands of rockets at Israel, followed by sea, land, and air infiltrations into Israel. According to Israeli statistics, the attacks resulted in 1,200 deaths and over 250 individuals being taken hostage before Israel retaliated against Gaza.
(This article referenced reports from the Associated Press and Reuters)