First round of Gaza ceasefire talks ends without breakthrough

The official added that talks are expected to resume on Monday, as mediators plan to hold separate meetings with each delegation in an effort to overcome the obstacles and narrow the gaps between the two sides.

Messages and clarifications were exchanged between the two sides through Qatari and Egyptian mediators, but no progress was achieved.

According to the official, the session lasted for nearly three and a half hours and took place in two separate buildings in Doha.

The latest round of indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have ended without a breakthrough, a Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations told the BBC.

According to Reuters news agency who spoke with two Palestinian officials, the Israeli delegation was not “sufficiently authorised” to reach an agreement with Hamas because it had “no real powers”.

The latest round of indirect negotiations come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to Washington to meet Donald Trump.

Netanyahu said he thinks his meeting with the US president on Monday should help progress efforts to reach a deal for the release of more hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza.

He said he had given his negotiators clear instructions to achieve a ceasefire agreement under conditions Israel has accepted.

Hamas has said it has responded to the latest ceasefire proposal in a positive spirit, but it seems clear there are still gaps between the two sides that need to be bridged if any deal is to be agreed.

For now, Hamas still seems to be holding out for essentially the same conditions it has previously insisted on – including a guarantee of an end to all hostilities at the end of any truce and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.

Netanyahu’s government has rejected this before.

The Israeli position may also not have shifted to any major degree. As he was leaving Israel for the US, Netanyahu said he was still committed to what he described as three missions: “The release and return of all the hostages, the living and the fallen; the destruction of Hamas’s capabilities – to kick it out of there, and to ensure that Gaza will no longer constitute a threat to Israel.”

Qatari and Egyptian mediators will have their work cut out during the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in trying to overcome these sticking points, which have have derailed other initiatives since the previous ceasefire ended in March.

Israel has since resumed its offensive against Hamas with great intensity, as well as imposing an eleven-week blockade on aid entering Gaza, which was partially lifted several weeks ago.

The Israeli government says these measures have been aimed at further weakening Hamas and forcing it to negotiate and free the hostages.

Just in the past 24 hours, the Israeli military says it struck 130 Hamas targets and killed a number of militants.

But the cost in civilian lives in Gaza continues to grow as well. Hospital officials in Gaza said more than 30 people were killed on Sunday.

The question now is not only whether the talks in Qatar can achieve a compromise acceptable to both sides – but also whether Trump can persuade Netanyahu that the war must come to an end at their meeting on Monday.

Many in Israel already believe that is a price worth paying to save the remaining hostages.

Once again, they came out on to the streets on Saturday evening, calling on Netanyahu to reach a deal so the hostages can finally be freed.

But there are hardline voices in Netanyahu’s cabinet, including the national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and the finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who have once again expressed their fierce opposition to ending the war in Gaza before Hamas has been completely eliminated.

Once again, there is the appearance of real momentum towards a ceasefire deal, but uncertainty over whether either the Israeli government or Hamas is ready to reach an agreement that might fall short of the key conditions they have so far set.

And once again, Palestinians in Gaza and the families of Israeli hostages still held there are fervently hoping this will not be another false dawn.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 57,338 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

Trump to Host Netanyahu Amid Gaza Ceasefire Push \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ President Donald Trump is set to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House next Monday to discuss ending the war in Gaza. The visit follows high-level ceasefire talks in Washington and marks Trump’s renewed focus on Israeli-Hamas negotiations. Both leaders aim to finalize a ceasefire and hostage deal.

Quick Looks

Meeting scheduled: Netanyahu to meet Trump next Monday in Washington

Ceasefire talks: Visit tied to U.S. push to end Gaza war

White House efforts: Trump intensifying diplomatic efforts on Israel-Hamas conflict

Ongoing coordination: Israeli Minister Dermer met with top U.S. officials last week

Ceasefire hope: Trump predicts agreement “within the next week”

Press secretary statement: Ending Gaza war a Trump priority

Hostage deal goal: Part of broader effort to reduce regional tension

Iran ceasefire backdrop: Recent Israel-Iran fighting paused after 12 days

No public confirmation: Trip not officially announced; details leaked anonymously

Initial report: Axios first broke news of Netanyahu’s visit

Deep Look

President Donald Trump is preparing to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House next Monday, according to a senior U.S. administration official familiar with the planning. The meeting, yet to be formally announced, is intended to accelerate efforts toward a ceasefire agreement and a hostage release deal to end the months-long war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.

The visit signals a significant diplomatic moment in Trump’s evolving Middle East strategy. The U.S. president has recently increased pressure on Israeli leaders to finalize terms of a ceasefire and broker a framework for hostage returns, amid rising international concern over civilian casualties and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

While the White House has not officially confirmed Netanyahu’s trip, the scheduling follows last week’s visit to Washington by Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer. Dermer met with top U.S. national security and diplomatic officials to discuss the status of ceasefire negotiations, regional tensions with Iran, and broader stability initiatives in the Middle East.

The timing of Netanyahu’s visit is notable, coming just one week after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran took hold following 12 days of aerial and cyber exchanges. That temporary pause in hostilities allowed the Biden administration to shift focus toward Gaza, where the conflict with Hamas remains unresolved and deadly.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, President Trump voiced confidence that a resolution in Gaza was within reach. “We think within the next week we’re going to get a ceasefire,” he said, although he did not elaborate on the basis for his optimism.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed that hopeful tone in a Monday briefing. “The president wants to see it end,” she said, referring to the conflict. “It’s heartbreaking to see the images that have come out from both Israel and Gaza throughout this war, and the president wants to save lives.”

Leavitt confirmed that the administration remains in “constant communication” with Israeli leadership and reaffirmed that the pursuit of peace in Gaza is now one of the White House’s top diplomatic objectives. She noted that discussions with Netanyahu’s office are ongoing and that scheduling logistics for the meeting are still being finalized.

According to Axios, which first reported the planned visit, the White House intends to use the meeting to encourage Netanyahu to take decisive steps toward a ceasefire while offering U.S. assistance in structuring a hostage exchange arrangement. Hamas is believed to still be holding several dozen Israeli and foreign nationals, while Israel has reportedly detained hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in recent operations.

The Trump administration’s diplomatic engagement comes amid rising domestic and international scrutiny of Israel’s military strategy in Gaza. The humanitarian situation has worsened significantly, with mounting casualties, destroyed infrastructure, and a crippled healthcare system. While Trump has maintained strong support for Israel throughout his presidency, he now appears increasingly focused on ending the violence, both to relieve civilian suffering and to restore stability in a region on edge after multiple flashpoints.

Sources familiar with the planning say the president is also using the meeting to reassert U.S. leadership in Middle East peacebuilding. The expected Washington summit with Netanyahu will provide Trump with a high-profile opportunity to steer the ceasefire negotiations and potentially announce a breakthrough.

Though cautious optimism surrounds the meeting, several challenges remain. Israeli political dynamics, internal divisions within Hamas, and the broader geopolitical context involving Iran and other regional actors complicate the path forward. Still, analysts say that U.S. pressure—coupled with mounting global calls for de-escalation—could provide just enough momentum for a short-term breakthrough.

As of now, the White House has not released a formal schedule or public confirmation of Netanyahu’s arrival, and officials stress that logistics remain fluid. However, the planning signals that Washington is prepared to play a central role in shaping the post-conflict landscape in Gaza and reinforcing its diplomatic footprint in the Middle East.

For Trump, the meeting also serves as an opportunity to underscore his commitment to peace while maintaining strategic ties with Israel. It may also help bolster his broader foreign policy credentials as he balances multiple international challenges and domestic political pressures.

If successful, the White House meeting could pave the way for a more durable ceasefire framework—and possibly, the start of longer-term stabilization discussions involving not only Israel and Hamas, but also Egypt, Qatar, and other key regional players.

More on US News

Trump to Host

Attacks come as Israeli forces continue to demolish homes as fears of another ground incursion grow.

Israeli forces have killed at least 109 Palestinians in attacks across the Gaza Strip, medical sources told Al Jazeera, even as United States President Donald Trump claimed that Israel had agreed to “the necessary conditions” to finalise a 60-day ceasefire.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social site on Tuesday that the US would work “with all parties” to end the war on Gaza during the ceasefire, and called on Hamas to agree to the deal.

Trump’s comments came after a particularly bloody day in Gaza, as Israeli attacks destroyed clusters of homes in the north and south of the enclave, amid fears of yet another looming ground invasion.

The attacks come ahead of a planned visit next week by Netanyahu to Washington, DC. Trump said on Tuesday that the Israeli prime minister wanted to end the war on Gaza, even as his forces ramp up attacks in Gaza.

Among the Palestinians killed were 16 hungry aid seekers who died when Israeli soldiers attacked crowds at aid distribution hubs run by the controversial US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), according to medical sources.

They are the latest victims in a wave of daily killings at these sites, which have killed nearly 600 Palestinians since GHF took over limited aid deliveries in Gaza in late May amid a crippling Israeli blockade.

More than 170 major international charities and nongovernmental organisations have called for an immediate end to GHF, which rights groups say is operating in violation of international principles.

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“Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot while trying desperately to reach food to feed their families,” a joint statement read.

GHF brings “nothing but starvation and gunfire to the people of Gaza,” it added.

Israeli forces also attacked Gaza City in the north, where it recently issued forced evacuation orders for residents of the area, which has already been bombarded into rubble. At least five people were killed when an Israeli quadcopter struck a gathering of people, local news agency Wafa reported.

At least 82 percent of Gaza is now an Israeli-militarised zone or under forced displacement threats, according to the United Nations, warning people have nowhere to go.

Ismail, a resident of the Sheikh Radwan suburb of Gaza City, said that newly displaced families were setting up tents in the road, after fleeing from areas north and east of the city and finding no other ground available.

“We don’t sleep because of the sounds of explosions from tanks and planes. The occupation is destroying homes east of Gaza, in Jabalia and other places around us,” he said.

‘Waiting room for death’

In Khan Younis and its al-Mawasi area in the south, at least 12 Palestinians were killed when a home belonging to the al-Zanati family was targeted. Separately, a child was killed and several others wounded when an Israeli air strike struck a displacement camp.

Several more were killed in an Israeli attack west of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to sources at al-Awda Hospital, while two others were killed and several wounded in a separate attack on a UN-run school sheltering displaced families in the al-Maghazi refugee camp.

In a statement, the Israeli army said it attacked Gaza more than 140 times in the past 24 hours, claiming all those hit were “terror targets” and “militants”.

The attacks come as hospitals in the devastated enclave struggle to cope with the influx of people amid a severe shortage of medical supplies and much-needed fuel.

Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, said critical services at the al-Shifa Hospital – which has come under attack and besieged several times throughout Israel’s assault on Gaza – will soon come to a halt.

“Critical services at al-Shifa Hospital have either stopped or will stop in the coming hours as backup generators are running out of fuel,” Mahmoud said.

“This hospital was once the largest healthcare facility in Gaza, but has slowly turned into a waiting room for death, not just because of the war wounds, but because of a lack of fuel that keeps everything running,” he said.

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Hope for deal ‘next week’

The desperate situation in Gaza is increasing the pressure on world leaders to secure a deal that would end the war.

Trump continues to maintain that a ceasefire deal is close, and that he hopes one will be secured “sometime next week”, during Netanyahu’s White House visit.

Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close Netanyahu ally, is in Washington this week for talks with senior officials on a Gaza ceasefire, Iran and other matters.

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said pressure by Trump on Israel would be key to any breakthrough in stalled ceasefire efforts.

“We call upon the US administration to atone for its sin towards Gaza by declaring an end to the war,” he said.

Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, reporting from Amman, said there is “cautious optimism” in Israel regarding a ceasefire.

“But there are still a lot of concerns, especially among family members of Israeli captives who have been calling for a deal,” Salhut said, adding that Netanyahu “has never signalled he wants to end the war”.

But Hamas has insisted it would not agree to any deal that does not include a full Israeli withdrawal from the Strip and a permanent halt to the war, which has so far killed more than 56,000 Palestinians since it began in October 2023.

Meanwhile, key mediator Qatar has reportedly sent an updated proposal to Hamas and Israel. According to Axios, the proposal includes a 60-day truce and the release of 10 captives, and would serve as the basis for negotiations aimed at a permanent end to the war and new governance for Gaza.

Netanyahu visits US as Trump puts pressure to agree Gaza ceasefire deal

4 hours ago Share Save Yolande Knell Middle East correspondent Share Save

Reuters US President Donald Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House in April

After 21 months of war, there are growing hopes of a new Gaza ceasefire announcement as Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets US President Donald Trump in Washington. Trump previously told reporters he had been “very firm” with Netanyahu about ending the conflict and that he thought “we’ll have a deal” this week. “We are working to achieve the deal that has been discussed, under the conditions we have agreed,” the veteran Israeli PM said before boarding his plane. “I believe that the conversation with President Trump can definitely help advance this outcome, which we all hope for.” Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas on a US-sponsored proposal for a 60-day ceasefire and hostage release deal resumed in Qatar on Sunday evening. However, it is unclear whether key differences that have consistently held up an agreement can be overcome.

Only cautious optimism is being expressed by weary Palestinians living in dire conditions amid continuing daily Israeli bombardment, and the distressed families of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas. “I don’t wish for a truce but a complete stop to all war. Frankly, I’m afraid that after 60 days the war would restart again,” says Nabil Abu Dayah, who fled from Beit Lahia in northern Gaza to Gaza City with his children and grandchildren. “We got so tired of displacement, we got tired of thirst and hunger, from living in tents. When it comes to life’s necessities, we have zero.” On Saturday evening, large rallies took place urging Israel’s government to seal a deal to return some 50 hostages from Gaza, up to 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Some relatives questioned why the framework deal would not free all captives immediately. “How does one survive under such conditions? I’m waiting for Evyatar to return and tell me himself,” said Ilay David, whose younger brother, a musician, was filmed by Hamas in torment as he watched fellow hostages being released earlier this year during the last, two-month-long ceasefire. “This is the time to save lives. This is the time to rescue the bodies from the threat of disappearance,” Ilay told a crowd in Jerusalem. “In the rapidly changing reality of the Middle East, this is the moment to sign a comprehensive agreement that will lead to the release of all the hostages, every single one, without exception.”

AFP The Israeli hostages’ families are urging the US president to broker a deal that secures the release of all of those held in Gaza

Netanyahu is visiting the White House for the third time since Trump returned to power nearly six months ago. But the leaders will be meeting for the first time since the US joined Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear sites and then brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. There is a strong sense that the recent 12-day war has created more favourable circumstances to end the Gaza war. After months of low popularity ratings, the Israeli PM has been bolstered by broad public support for the Iran offensive and analysts suggest he now has more leverage to agree to a peace deal over the strong objections of his far-right coalition partners, who want Israel to remain in control of Gaza. Hamas is seen to have been further weakened by the strikes on Iran – a key regional patron – meaning it could also be more amenable to making concessions needed to reach an agreement. Meanwhile, Trump is keen to move on to other priorities in the Middle East. These include brokering border talks between Israel and Syria, returning to efforts to normalise relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and completing unfinished business with Iran, involving possible negotiations on a new nuclear deal.

For months, ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have been deadlocked over one fundamental difference. Israel has been ready to commit to a temporary truce to return hostages but not an end to the war. Hamas has demanded a permanent cessation of hostilities in Gaza and a full pullout of Israeli troops. The latest proposal put to Hamas is said to include guarantees of Washington’s commitment to the deal and to continued talks to reach a lasting ceasefire and the release of all the hostages. Nothing has been officially announced, but according to media reports the framework would see Hamas hand over 28 hostages – 10 alive and 18 dead – in five stages over 60 days without the troubling handover ceremonies it staged in the last ceasefire. There would be a large surge in humanitarian aid entering Gaza. After the return of the first eight living hostages on the first day of the agreement, Israeli forces would withdraw from parts of the north. After one week, the army would leave parts of the south. On Day 10, Hamas would outline which hostages remain alive and their condition, while Israel would give details about more than 2,000 Gazans arrested during the war who remain in “administrative detention” – a practice which allows the Israeli authorities to hold them without charge or trial. As seen before, large numbers of Palestinians would be released from Israeli jails in exchange for hostages.

Reuters The Israeli military’s chief of staff said last week that it was nearing the completion of its war goals

President Trump has described this as the “final” truce proposal and said last week that Israel had accepted “the necessary conditions” to finalise it. On Friday, Hamas said it had responded in a “positive spirit” but expressed some reservations. A Palestinian official said sticking points remained over humanitarian aid – with Hamas demanding an immediate end to operations by the controversial Israeli and American-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and a return to the UN and its partners overseeing all relief efforts. Hamas is also said to be questioning the timetable for Israeli troop withdrawals and operations of the Rafah crossing between southern Gaza and Egypt. Netanyahu’s office stated on Saturday that the changes wanted by Hamas were “not acceptable” to Israel. The prime minister has repeatedly said that Hamas must be disarmed, a demand the Islamist group has so far refused to discuss.

EPA The humanitarian situation in Gaza is continuing to deteriorate

In Israel, there is growing opposition to the war in Gaza, with more than 20 soldiers killed in the past month, according to the military. The Israeli military’s chief of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, said last week that it was nearing the completion of its war goals and signalled that the government must decide whether to move ahead with a deal to bring home hostages or prepare for Israeli forces to re-establish military rule in Gaza. Polls indicate that two-thirds of Israelis support a ceasefire deal to bring home the hostages. In Gaza, some residents express fears that the current wave of positivity is being manufactured to ease tensions during Netanyahu’s US trip – rationalising that this happened in May as Trump prepared to visit Arab Gulf states. The coming days will be critical politically and in humanitarian terms. The situation in Gaza has continued to deteriorate, with medical staff reporting acute malnutrition among children. The UN says that with no fuel having entered in over four months, stockpiles are now virtually gone, threatening vital medical care, water supplies and telecommunications. Israel launched its war in Gaza in retaliation for the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and led to 251 others being taken hostage. Israeli attacks have since killed more than 57,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The ministry’s figures are quoted by the UN and others as the most reliable source of statistics available on casualties.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel’s recent conflict with Iran had created new strategic opportunities, chief among them the potential return of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, attacks.

Speaking during a visit to Israel’s Shin Bet security service, Netanyahu described the conclusion of the 12-day war with Iran—ended June 24—as a “victory” that could now help achieve critical national goals.

“First of all, to rescue the hostages,” Netanyahu said, according to a statement from his office. “Of course we will also have to solve the Gaza issue, to defeat Hamas, but I estimate that we will achieve both tasks.”

Hostage Families Welcome New Priority

Netanyahu’s remarks were met with cautious optimism by families of the 50 remaining hostages in Gaza. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters, a leading advocacy group, called it the first time the prime minister has publicly prioritized the hostages’ return.

“The families of the hostages welcome the fact that after 20 months, the return of the hostages has finally been designated as the top priority by the prime minister,” the group said in a statement.

They urged Netanyahu to translate his statement into concrete action: “This is a very important statement that must translate into a single comprehensive deal to bring back all 50 hostages and end the fighting in Gaza.” Only 20 of the 50 are currently believed to be alive.

Political and Diplomatic Developments

The remarks came amid renewed speculation of a breakthrough in ceasefire negotiations. U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking Saturday, claimed that Netanyahu was “right now” negotiating a deal with Hamas, though neither side has confirmed this.

The United States has floated a proposal involving a 60-day ceasefire, the release of half the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and a phased return of the remaining hostages after a permanent ceasefire. Hamas has indicated willingness to resume talks but maintains demands for an end to the war and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Israel, for its part, insists that the war cannot end unless Hamas is fully disarmed and dismantled—a position the group rejects.

Meanwhile, the Jerusalem District Court postponed Netanyahu’s scheduled testimony this week in his long-running corruption trial, citing classified diplomatic and security reasons. The delay further fueled speculation that efforts are underway behind the scenes to resolve the conflict.

Military and Humanitarian Crisis Continue

While diplomacy unfolds, military operations on the ground are intensifying. On Sunday, the Israeli military ordered new evacuations in northern Gaza ahead of fresh combat against Hamas forces.

A Hamas official told Reuters the group had informed mediators it was ready to resume ceasefire talks, but reaffirmed the group’s outstanding demands that any deal must end the war and secure an Israeli withdrawal from the coastal territory.

The broader conflict began after Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 during their October 2023 attack, according to Israeli figures. Since then, more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry, with nearly the entire population of 2.3 million displaced and facing dire humanitarian conditions.

Israel’s military Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, said Friday that the outcome of the Iran conflict could help Israel achieve its objectives in Gaza. Additionally, Israeli strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer is expected at the White House on Monday for further discussions on both Iran and Gaza.