Israeli sources involved in the negotiations said there was a real possibility of a deal being reached after Hamas made a counterproposal, a “significant breakthrough.”
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Israeli authorities and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas made progress on Thursday in peace talks in Qatar, defining a roadmap for reaching a final agreement on the conflict that has lasted for almost nine months in Gaza.
Gaza: Israel sends delegation to negotiate hostage release with Hamas
The information was provided by Israeli and American officials to the Al-Jazeera news channel in Qatar – one of the countries mediating in the negotiations, along with the United States and Egypt – and transmitted by American sources to the international press.
Israeli sources involved in the negotiations told the British news agency Reuters that there is a real possibility of a deal being reached after Hamas made a counterproposal, described as “a significant progress“.
According to the Israeli press, the head of the Israeli secret servicesMossad, lead to the delegation at talks scheduled for Friday in Qatar.
David Barnea will meet with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani as part of efforts to reach an agreement, according to Israeli sources.
The US president welcomed Israel’s “effort to close the deal,” which comes a day after Hamas responded to a peace plan outlined by Joe Biden more than a month ago, according to a White House statement.
In telephone conversationBiden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “discussed the recent response received from Hamas.”
The President welcomed the Prime Minister’s decision to authorize his negotiators to contact American, Qatari and Egyptian mediators in a effort to close the deal“the Biden Administration statement said.
On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced it was studying a response from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas to a new proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages held in the enclave.
Source: Observadora
