US, Israel, and Qatari negotiators discuss 28-day Gaza ceasefire

Negotiations in Doha on Sunday saw US, Israeli, and Qatari representatives discuss a new ceasefire deal that could lead to an end to the war, according to reports.

CIA Director Bill Burns, Mossad Director David Barnea, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani discussed a proposal for a 28-day ceasefire, according to Axios.

The ceasefire would pave the way for the release of eight Israeli captives held in Gaza and the release of dozens of Palestinian prisoners, three Israeli officials told the publication.

However, a main sticking point noted by Israeli sources continues to be Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence on continuing the war after any temporary ceasefire, against Hamas’ insistence on a partial ceasefire being an opening to further negotiations on ending the war.

The negotiations in Doha come after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi proposed a two-day truce in the Gaza Strip to allow for the exchange of four Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners on Sunday.

The proposal also stipulates that within 10 days new negotiations will also begin, setting forth a potential roadmap to end the year-long war.

However, the office for Netanyahu denied receiving such a proposal from the Egyptian government.

In a post on X, the office said that “if such a proposal had been raised, the prime minister would have accepted it immediately”.

Netanyahu has long been accused by all sides of the negotiations of stifling a successful deal for the release of Israeli captives, often laying out new last-minute requirements that collapse negotiations.

Around 101 Israelis remain captive in Gaza, according to Haaretz, including 35 who are believed to be dead.

Axios added that Burns is also expected to travel to Cairo this week to discuss the talks further with Egypt’s new intelligence chief Hassan Rashad.

Israel’s year-long war on Gaza has killed 43,061 Palestinians, with a further 101,223 wounded.