Israel Announces New Gaza Truce Talks Scheduled Next Week

Israel announced that “gaps” still exist in negotiations with Hamas regarding a Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages. However, it will send a delegation for further discussions with Qatari mediators next week.

This announcement followed a round of talks in Doha led by David Barnea, the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. According to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesman, the parties agreed that Israeli negotiators will return to Doha for more talks, despite existing differences.

There has been no ceasefire in the nine-month Gaza conflict since a one-week pause in November, during which 80 Israeli hostages were exchanged for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

The United States, working with Qatar and Egypt to broker a deal, highlighted the significance of Israel’s decision to engage in talks in Qatar. A senior U.S. official mentioned that there is a “pretty significant opening” for an agreement between Israel and Hamas.

The conflict, which began with Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, has resulted in 1,195 deaths, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. Hamas also took captives, with 116 still held in Gaza, including 42 confirmed dead by the Israeli military.

Israel’s subsequent offensive has killed at least 38,011 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

U.S. President Joe Biden proposed a truce plan in May, which included a six-week ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal from Gaza population centers, and the release of hostages by Palestinian militants. Although talks stalled, a new proposal from Hamas has reportedly advanced the process, though significant work remains.

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan indicated that new ideas from Hamas were conveyed to the U.S. through mediators and passed on to Israel. He stated that the next steps depend on Israel’s response.

The war has displaced 90 percent of Gaza’s population, severely damaged housing and infrastructure, and left nearly 500,000 people facing severe hunger, according to U.N. agencies.

A major obstacle to a truce is Hamas’s demand for a permanent end to the fighting, which Netanyahu and his coalition strongly oppose. Netanyahu is expected to meet with Biden during a scheduled visit to Washington to address Congress on July 24.

In Israel, protests demanding the release of hostages have continued, with demonstrators taking to the streets again on Thursday. Netanyahu insists on the hostages’ release but also aims to dismantle Hamas’s military and governance capabilities.

The head of the World Health Organization warned of further disruptions to health services in Gaza due to a severe fuel shortage. Only 90,000 liters of fuel entered Gaza on Wednesday, but the health sector alone requires 80,000 liters daily.

U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, hope that a Gaza ceasefire could reduce violence on the Israel-Lebanon border. Hezbollah has been exchanging cross-border fire with Israel since the conflict began, intensifying after Israeli airstrikes killed senior Hezbollah commanders.

Hamas announced that its foreign relations chief, Khalil al-Hayya, met with Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to coordinate their resistance efforts and discuss upcoming truce negotiations.