"Indirect negotiations are continuing this morning in Doha, with a fourth meeting being held... the discussions are still focused on the mechanisms for implementation, particularly the clauses related to withdrawal and humanitarian aid," a Palestinian official close to the talks told AFP.
"No breakthrough has been achieved so far, and the negotiations are ongoing," another Palestinian official said.
Israel and Hamas began their latest round of negotiations on Sunday, with representatives of the two sides seated in different rooms in the same building.
With the talks underway, Netanyahu travelled to Washington for his third visit since Trump's return to power, where the U.S. president on Monday voiced confidence a deal could be reached.
Netanyahu's third visit comes at a crucial time, with the U.S. president hoping to capitalize on the momentum from a recent truce between Israel and Iran.
"I don't think there is a hold-up. I think things are going along very well," Trump told reporters at the start of the dinner when asked what was preventing a peace deal.
Sitting on the opposite side of a long table from the Israeli leader, Trump also voiced confidence that Palestinian group Hamas was willing to end the conflict in Gaza, which is entering its 22nd month.
"They want to meet and they want to have that ceasefire," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if clashes involving Israeli soldiers would derail talks.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, said he had nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize — the U.S. president's long-held goal — presenting him with a letter he sent to the prize committee.
"He's forging peace as we speak, in one country, in one region after the other," Netanyahu said.
'We don't care'
But Netanyahu was more cagey on peace with the Palestinians and ruled out a full Palestinian state, saying that Israel will "always" keep security control over the Gaza Strip.
"Now, people will say it's not a complete state, it's not a state. We don't care," Netanyahu said.
Several dozen protesters gathered near the White House as Trump and Netanyahu met, chanting slogans accusing the Israeli prime minister of "genocide."
Trump has strongly backed key U.S. ally and fellow conservative Netanyahu, lending U.S. support in Israel's recent war by bombing Iran's key nuclear facilities.
But at the same time, he has increasingly pushed for an end to what he called the "hell" in Gaza. Trump said on Sunday he believes there is a "good chance" of an agreement this coming week.
"The utmost priority for the president right now in the Middle East is to end the war in Gaza and to return all of the hostages," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Leavitt said Trump wanted Hamas to agree to a U.S.-brokered proposal "right now" after Israel backed the plan for a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
The latest round of negotiations on the war in Gaza began on Sunday in Doha, with representatives seated in different rooms in the same building.
Monday's talks ended with "no breakthrough," a Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations told AFP.
The Hamas and Israeli delegations were due to resume talks, with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff set to join them this week in an effort to secure a ceasefire.
Envoy trip
The U.S. proposal included a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel, two Palestinian sources close to the discussions had earlier told AFP.
The group was also demanding certain conditions for Israel's withdrawal, guarantees against a resumption of fighting during negotiations, and the return of the U.N.-led aid distribution system, they said.
The Israeli army said early Tuesday that five soldiers were killed and two others severely wounded in combat in the north of the Gaza Strip.
In Gaza, the civil defense agency said Israeli forces killed at least 12 people on Monday, including six in a clinic housing people displaced by the war.
Of the 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants during the October 2023 Hamas attack that triggered the war, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
The war has created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip.
Israel's military campaign has killed at least 57,523 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The U.N. considers the figures reliable.
No comments
Post a Comment
Thanks for viewing, your comments are appreciated.
Disclaimer: Comments on this blog are NOT posted by Olomo TIMES, Readers are SOLELY responsible for their comments.
Need to contact us for gossips, news reports, adverts or anything?
Email us on; olomoinfo@gmail.com