Witkoff told reporters in Teterboro, New Jersey, that he planned to meet senior Qatari officials on the sidelines of the FIFA Club World Cup final. Witkoff's comments came as talks in Doha appeared to be at a standstill, with both sides in disagreement regarding several aspects of the ceasefire.
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(Photo: REUTERS/Nir Elias, REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein, Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP, REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
A Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations in Doha told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that “it is still too early to speak of a failure in the negotiations, which are still ongoing alongside efforts by the mediators, despite the obstacles Netanyahu is placing and his attempts to delay reaching solutions.”
The source confirmed that Hamas had requested limited improvements to certain clauses, particularly those related to ensuring an Israeli withdrawal from the city of Rafah. According to him, the movement held in-depth consultations with all Palestinian factions, and there was unanimous agreement on this position.
New maps that meet Hamas’ conditions in one way or another could mark a breakthrough in the negotiations for a ceasefire deal, under which 10 living hostages and 18 deceased hostages are expected to be released. Once the deal begins, a 60-day negotiation period for a comprehensive ceasefire will follow. Palestinian sources involved in the talks said earlier that Israel currently insists on controlling 40% of the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire. Hamas opposes this and demands a wide-scale withdrawal of IDF forces from the Strip.
