Hamas says it wants a ceasefire and hostage deal 'as soon as possible'
Hamas official says the group is 'serious' about reaching a deal as soon as possible
A new round of indirect talks on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal resumed in Qatar’s Doha on Friday, according to the Palestinian jihadists of Hamas. Senior Hamas official Basem Naim sought to underline the group's "seriousness" in seeking to reach a deal as soon as possible.
He said that the new talks will focus on agreeing on a "permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces."
Mediators Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. have been engaged in months of back-and-forth talks seeking to end more than a year of devastating conflict — started on October 7, 2023, when Palestinians perpetrated the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust — and release the 100 Israeli hostages still held by the terrorists in underground tunnels.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had authorized Israeli negotiators to continue talks in Doha.
In December, Qatar expressed optimism that “momentum” was returning to the talks following Donald Trump’s election victory in the United States.