Hamas softens stance on ceasefire in Gaza under pressure from Qatar

The mediated truce talks between Hamas and Israel have shown progress this week as the Palestinian movement softened its stance under Qatar’s pressure, The Times of Israel reported on Wednesday, citing an unnamed Arab diplomat.

The parties have made some progress towards securing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip after Doha warned Hamas that its leadership members residing in Qatar would be extradited if the movement did not change its negotiating approach, the newspaper reported.

Earlier in the week, news media reported that the parties reached another stalemate in truce negotiations.

On Tuesday, Al Arabiya broadcaster reported, citing a top level Hamas source, that the movement had agreed to the US-initiated proposal for a ceasefire and a gradual return of displaced people.

Last week, delegations from Qatar, the United States and Hamas arrived in Egypt for a new round of de-escalation talks in the Gaza Strip. Israel reportedly decided not to send its delegation to the Cairo talks.

The framework of a proposed deal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip includes an exchange of some 400 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel for 40 Israeli hostages, media reported earlier in the month. The draft deal also reportedly included a six-week pause in hostilities and a gradual return of Palestinians to the northern Gaza Strip.

On October 7, 2023, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel and breached the border, attacking both civilian neighborhoods and military bases. As a result, over 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. At least 31,272 people have been killed by Israeli strikes so far in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said.

On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.