Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani pressed Hamas political leaders to "respond positively" to the latest US-proposed Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal during talks in Doha on Monday, an official briefed on the talks told Reuters.
"The Qatari prime minister pressed Hamas to respond positively to the latest American proposal, conveyed through mediators, and aimed at securing a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza," the official said.
On Sunday, Hamas said it received some ideas from the United States' side to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza, and was discussing with mediators ways to develop those ideas.
Hamas casts doubts on US proposal
This development comes after Hamas leaders cast doubts over the new US-backed hostage-ceasefire proposal conveyed through Israeli negotiator Gershon Baskin and Dr. Bishara Bahbah.
Saudi newspaper Asharq al Awsat reported that the Hamas leadership said that there are several roadblocks that need to be addressed to reach a deal.
Hamas sources said that the proposal presented to them contains "many traps and pitfalls that need to be dismantled," adding that they are focused on a deal that would end the war.
The terror group added that it would be difficult to release several hostages already on the first day of a deal, as some hostages were killed in locations where the IDF would need to halt fire in order to extract them from under the rubble in areas where they were killed, or from places where they were buried after Israeli forces entered, Asharq al Awsat reported.
According to the Hamas sources, the current discussions do not mention an Israeli withdrawal from critical corridors, such as the Philadelphi Corridor, or reopening the Rafah crossing. The terrorist group told Asharq al Awsat that they are seeking guarantees to reach the war's end, backed by guarantor countries such as the US.
The new US-backed proposal has been delivered to Hamas over the past few days in an effort to secure the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, sources told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday. The initiative, conveyed through Baskin and Bahbah, outlines a comprehensive framework aimed at ending the ongoing conflict.
The plan specifies that Hamas would release all 48 hostages, including those believed to be alive and the bodies of the dead, on the first day of the agreement. In exchange, US President Donald Trump would offer a personal assurance that hostilities will not resume until negotiations between Israel and Hamas yield a resolution.
The proposal also calls for the release of between 2,000 and 3,000 Palestinian security prisoners, including those convicted of murder. It further stipulates the cancellation of Israel’s planned military operation in Gaza City, as well as the immediate start of talks to bring the war to a close.