A Hamas delegation has traveled to Qatar to engage in indirect ceasefire negotiations with Israel regarding the ongoing war between the two parties.
The delegation is reportedly reviewing an Israeli proposal but has expressed opposition to a clause that calls for their disarmament.
The talks, set to take place in Doha later this week or next, focus on a potential deal for the release of ten hostages in exchange for a 45-day truce.
The proposed ceasefire would allow food and shelter to enter Gaza, which has been under an Israeli blockade for over a month. However, a key issue in the discussions is whether the war would officially end as part of the deal. A ceasefire agreement was initially reached in January, lasting eight weeks, but Israel resumed military action last month, aiming to defeat Hamas.
A senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera that the Egyptian-proposed ceasefire includes a clause demanding their disarmament, which they categorically rejected. The official emphasized that disarmament “is not just a red line. It is a million red lines.”
Hamas also insists that the deal must include a permanent ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. As of now, officials from Israel and Qatar have not commented on the developments.
Since the ceasefire collapsed last month, Israel has blocked aid from entering Gaza, while forces have seized parts of the coastal region to pressure Hamas into agreeing to a deal more in line with Israel’s terms.
Meanwhile, the United Nations aid office warned on Monday that Gaza’s humanitarian situation has reached what is likely to be the “worst” point since Israel launched its war in response to Hamas’ October 7 attack. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated: “No fuel has come in, no food has come in, no medicine has come in.”
