Israeli negotiation team to fly to Qatar for talks with Hamas
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Israeli government: Hamas’s ceasefire proposal response is unacceptable.
Israeli government: Hamas’s ceasefire proposal response is unacceptable. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed that indirect negotiations be accepted. It was reported that the Israeli negotiation team would go to Qatar today for ceasefire talks. The Israeli government claimed that Hamas is trying to make changes to the ceasefire proposal from Qatar.
06.07.2025 01:30
The Israeli government claimed that Hamas is trying to make changes to the ceasefire proposal from Qatar. The Israeli administration stated, “The changes that Hamas wants to make to Qatar’s (ceasefire) proposal were communicated to us last night, and these are not acceptable to Israel.”
The Israeli government claimed that Hamas is trying to make changes to Qatar’s proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, arguing that these changes are unacceptable.
In a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, information regarding the ceasefire proposal in Gaza was provided. The statement said, “The changes that Hamas wants to make to Qatar’s (ceasefire) proposal were communicated to us last night, and these are not acceptable to Israel.”
ISRAEL VETOES CEASEFIRE
It was noted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed that indirect negotiations be accepted and that efforts to secure the hostages in line with the Qatar proposal accepted by Israel should continue. It was reported that the Israeli negotiation team would go to Qatar today for ceasefire talks.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Hamas announced that it had conveyed its “positive response” to mediators regarding the proposal for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Israel in Gaza last night, and that it was ready for negotiations to implement the ceasefire.
Israel sending negotiating team to Qatar for Gaza ceasefire talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says Hamas requests for changes to truce proposal ‘unacceptable to Israel’ Hamas said on Friday that it had provided a “positive” response to a United States-brokered proposal that would involve a 60-day truce in Gaza. More than 57,300 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza since the October 2023 start of the war, which has decimated the Strip and spurred a dire humanitarian crisis. But for months, experts have accused Netanyahu – who faces growing domestic pressure to secure the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza – of blocking attempts to reach a deal. U.S. President Donald Trump will host Netanyahu for talks at the White House in Washington, DC, on Monday, it was announced on Saturday. The Palestinian group also wants humanitarian aid to be delivered to Gaza through international mechanisms instead of the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
Israel is sending a negotiating team to Qatar for talks on a Gaza ceasefire proposal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed.
In a statement late on Saturday, Netanyahu’s office said the team would travel on Sunday after the Israeli leader instructed negotiators “to accept the invitation for close talks”.
But the statement said that “the changes Hamas is requesting to make to the Qatari proposal were delivered to us last night and are unacceptable to Israel”. It did not elaborate on what changes were being requested.
Hamas said on Friday that it had provided a “positive” response to a United States-brokered proposal that would involve a 60-day truce in Gaza, renewing hopes of a possible end to Israel’s deadly assault on the Palestinian enclave.
More than 57,300 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza since the October 2023 start of the war, which has decimated the Strip and spurred a dire humanitarian crisis.
But for months, experts have accused Netanyahu – who faces growing domestic pressure to secure the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza – of blocking attempts to reach a deal that would end Israel’s offensive.
Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut explained that the captives’ families have accused the Israeli prime minister of “prioritising politics” over the lives of their loved ones.
“His current right-wing allies – the reason why Netanyahu is in power – don’t want a deal,” she said, adding that United States President Donald Trump has also been pushing for an agreement between Israel and Hamas.
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Trump will host Netanyahu for talks at the White House in Washington, DC, on Monday.
Earlier on Saturday, Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, a key member of Netanyahu’s governing coalition, called on the Israeli prime minister to “abandon the path of surrender”.
In a post on X, Ben-Gvir wrote that any ceasefire deal that would include Israel’s withdrawal from “conquered territories”, the release of Palestinian prisoners, or the “revitalisation of Hamas with humanitarian aid” would constitute a “reward for terrorism”.
“The only way to achieve victory and securely return our hostages is through the complete conquest of the Strip, a total cessation of ‘humanitarian’ aid, and the encouragement to emigration,” he said.
“I call on the prime minister to abandon the path of surrender and return to the path of victory.”
Meanwhile, Hamas has insisted that any agreement must include guarantees that Israel will permanently end its war on Gaza.
But the Palestinian group said on Friday that it was “fully prepared, with all seriousness, to immediately enter a new round of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing” the latest ceasefire framework.
Reporting from Amman, Jordan, because Al Jazeera is banned in Israel and the occupied West Bank, Salhut explained that Hamas has made requests for three core amendments to the proposal.
“They wanted the talks for ending the war to continue if there was a pause in the fighting, if that 60 days was over,” she said.
The Palestinian group also wants humanitarian aid to be delivered to Gaza through international mechanisms instead of the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), Salhut said.
More than 700 Palestinians have been killed and thousands wounded while seeking aid at GHF sites since the group began operating in the Strip in late May.
“The third [request] was about where Israeli forces could be in the Gaza Strip as part of this deal,” Salhut added.
Netanyahu says Israel sending team for Gaza truce talks
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is sending a negotiating team to Qatar for talks on a truce in Gaza, but rejected Hamas’s earlier truce proposals. A Palestinian official said concerns remained over humanitarian aid, passage through the Rafah crossing in southern Israel to Egypt and clarity over a timetable for Israeli troop withdrawals. Israeli military operations killed 35 people across Gaza today, the Israeli military said. The Egyptian foreign ministry said that top diplomat Badr Abdelatty held a phone call with Washington’s main representative in the truce talks Steve Witkoff to discuss recent developments. The US and Israel-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, took the lead in food distribution in the territory in late May, when Israel partially lifted a more than two-month blockade on aid deliveries. The group said two of its US staff members were wounded “in a targeted terrorist attack” at one of its aid centres in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis.
“The changes that Hamas is seeking to make in the Qatari proposal were conveyed to us last night and are unacceptable to Israel,” said a statement from his office.
Hamas said it had responded to a US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal in a “positive spirit”, a few days after US President Donald Trump said Israel had agreed “to the necessary conditions to finalize” a 60-day truce.
But in a sign of the potential challenges still facing the two sides, a Palestinian official from a militant group allied with Hamas said concerns remained over humanitarian aid, passage through the Rafah crossing in southern Israel to Egypt and clarity over a timetable for Israeli troop withdrawals.
Mr Netanyahu said that the delegation will still fly to Qatar for talks over a possible deal to “continue the efforts to secure the return of our hostages based on the Qatari proposal that Israel agreed to”.
Mr Netanyahu, who is due to meet President Trump in Washington on Monday, has repeatedly said Hamas must be disarmed, a position the militant group, which is thought to be holding 20 living hostages, has so far refused to discuss.
Displaced Palestinians queue for water amid severe water shortages in Gaza City
Two previous ceasefires mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States secured temporary halts in fighting and the return of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Of the 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants during the October 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
The Egyptian foreign ministry said that top diplomat Badr Abdelatty held a phone call with Washington’s main representative in the truce talks Steve Witkoff to discuss recent developments “and preparations for holding indirect meetings between the two parties concerned to reach an agreement”.
Meanwhile, ahead of its weekly protest demanding the return of the hostages, the main group representing their families renewed its call for a negotiated agreement to bring them home.
“This is the hour to bring about a comprehensive deal that will guarantee the return of the last hostage,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said.
But recent efforts to broker a new truce have repeatedly failed, with the primary point of contention being Israel’s rejection of Hamas’s demand for guarantees of a lasting ceasefire.
Nearly 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in Gaza, where Israel has recently expanded its military operations.
Palestinians mourn as bodies of those killed after the Israeli army opened fire on civilians waiting for aid in an area close to an aid distribution point are brought to Nasser Hospital in Gaza City
A US and Israel-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, took the lead in food distribution in the territory in late May, when Israel partially lifted a more than two-month blockade on aid deliveries.
The group said two of its US staff members were wounded “in a targeted terrorist attack” at one of its aid centres in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis today, adding that reports indicated a pair of assailants “threw two grenades at the Americans”.
The Israeli military said it had evacuated the injured.
UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF over concerns that it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.
Its operations have been marred by near-daily reports of Israeli fire on people waiting to collect rations.
UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said yesterday that more than 500 people have been killed waiting to access food from GHF distribution points.
But GHF chairman Johnnie Moore, a Christian evangelical leader allied to President Trump, on Wednesday rejected calls for the lead role in Gaza aid distributions to revert to UN agencies, saying: “We will not be shut down.”
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said Israeli military operations killed 35 people across Gaza today.
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency.
Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it could not comment on specific strikes without precise coordinates.
Israel to send delegation to Qatar for Gaza talks despite ‘unacceptable’ Hamas demands
Israel will send a delegation to Qatar on Sunday for talks on a possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the changes requested by Hamas to a ceasefire proposal were unacceptable. Hamas said on Friday it had responded to a U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal in a “positive spirit” A Palestinian official from a militant group allied with Hamas said concerns remained over humanitarian aid, passage through the Rafah crossing in southern Israel to Egypt and clarity over a timetable for Israeli troop withdrawals.
Item 1 of 2 Smoke rises in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, July 5, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
July 5 (Reuters) – Israel will send a delegation to Qatar on Sunday for talks on a possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the changes requested by Hamas to a ceasefire proposal were unacceptable.
Palestinian group Hamas said on Friday it had responded to a U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal in a “positive spirit”, a few days after U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel had agreed “to the necessary conditions to finalize” a 60-day truce.
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But in a sign of the potential challenges still facing the two sides, a Palestinian official from a militant group allied with Hamas said concerns remained over humanitarian aid, passage through the Rafah crossing in southern Israel to Egypt and clarity over a timetable for Israeli troop withdrawals.
“The changes that Hamas seeks to make to the Qatari proposal were conveyed to us last night and are not acceptable to Israel,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement late on Saturday.
The prime minister’s office added that the delegation will still fly to Qatar for talks over a possible deal to “continue the efforts to secure the return of our hostages based on the Qatari proposal that Israel agreed to.”
Netanyahu, who is due to meet Trump in Washington on Monday, has repeatedly said Hamas must be disarmed, a position the militant group, which is thought to be holding 20 living hostages, has so far refused to discuss.
The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Gaza’s health ministry says Israel’s retaliatory military assault on the enclave has killed over 57,000 Palestinians. It has also caused a hunger crisis, displaced Gaza’s entire population internally and prompted accusations of genocide and war crimes. Israel denies the accusations.
Reporting by Emily Rose, writing by Hatem Maher; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Alistair Bell
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Israeli hostage negotiation team to fly to Doha to hold talks with Hamas on Sunday
Hamas says it has given a ‘positive’ response to US proposal for a 60-day ceasefire. Israeli media say a delegation has been dispatched to Doha to hold hostage deal talks with Hamas. US President Donald Trump has been pushing hard for a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel to be reached. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to visit the White House next week to discuss a deal with the American president. Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed 15 Palestinians in Gaza early on Friday, while a local hospital said another 20 people died in shootings while seeking aid.
Israeli media say a decision was made to dispatch a delegation to the Qatari capital, Doha, to hold hostage deal talks with Hamas amid the ongoing diplomatic efforts and a US proposal for a temporary 60-day ceasefire.
The talks are aimed at “bridging the gaps” between the two warring sides and come after Hamas announced on Friday that it has given a “positive” response to the latest proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, after deliberating with other Palestinian factions.
The group did however note that further discussions were needed to agree to a framework of implementation and iron-out details.
It was not clear if Hamas’ statement meant it had accepted the proposal from US President Donald Trump for a 60-day ceasefire. Hamas has been seeking guarantees that the initial truce would lead to a total end to the war, now nearly 21 months old.
In a statement issued late Friday, Hamas said it has “delivered the response to the mediators, which was positive.”
“The movement is ready in all seriousness to enter immediately into a round of negotiations on the mechanism to implement this framework,” it said, without elaborating.
Trump has been pushing hard for a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel to be reached. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to visit the White House next week to discuss a deal with the American president.
On Tuesday, Trump said that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza – during which the US would “work with all parties to end the war.” He then urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen.
A Hamas official said the ceasefire could start as early as next week but he said talks were needed first to work out how many Palestinian prisoners would be released in return for each freed Israeli hostage and to specify the amount of aid that will enter Gaza during the truce.
Hamas has said it wants aid to flow in greater quantities through the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss the response with the press.
Hamas’ statement came as Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed 15 Palestinians in Gaza early on Friday, while a local hospital said another 20 people died in shootings while seeking aid.
According to the UN human rights office, at least 613 Palestinians have been killed inside of a month while trying to obtain aid in Gaza. Most were reportedly killed as they tried to reach food distribution points run by an Israeli-backed American organisation.