Gaza ceasefire talks in ‘final round’ as Israeli violence surges

A ceasefire could take effect in the Gaza Strip as soon as this week, as negotiations for a deal are in their “final stages” in Doha in a bid to finalise a plan that could see the end of the war,

The heads of Israel’s intelligence agencies, the Middle East envoys for the incoming and outgoing US administrations, and Qatar’s prime minister are due to attend the talks, sources told AFP. Negotiators will also hold separate talks with Hamas.

Mediators reportedly gave Israel and Hamas a final draft of an agreement on Monday, an official told Reuters, after a midnight “breakthrough” in talks attended by envoys of Biden’s and Trump’s.

Since the start of January, attempts to reach a ceasefire deal have increased significantly, after months of stalled efforts which yielded little to no results. A lack of progress in  talks prompted Qatar to pause its mediator role until Israel and Hamas representatives moved toward a consensus on peace.

Sources told AFP that there had been “significant progress on the remaining sticking points”, in a possible reference to the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid.

Israel’s military onslaught in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 46,584 Palestinians since 7 October 2023 and has devastated the territory, rendering much of it inhabitable. Its conduct in the enclave has been labelled as genocidal. 

The same source also said a new “concrete” proposal was being presented to the parties, and that there had been a “positive” initial response from both sides.

Should the ceasefire come to life, its first phase could see 1,000 Palestinian detainees freed in exchange for the release of up to 33 Israeli captives. At least 94 captives still remain in Gaza, with 34 of them declared dead.

The deal could also see the return of thousands of displaced Palestinians from the south of Gaza to the north, which has been under a violent siege since October.

Sixteen days after an agreement is signed, discussions on the second phase are set to begin.

Trump, a staunch backer of Israel, also voiced enthusiasm for a ceasefire agreement. The Republican told Newsmax on Monday: “If they don’t get it done, there’s going to be a lot of trouble out there like they have never seen before.”

“I understand there’s been a handshake and they’re getting it finished. Maybe by the end of the week,” he added.

The progress on ceasefire negotiations comes as President-elect Trump is set to take office for the second time on 20 January.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will reportedly present a plan on rebuilding and governing Gaza should Israel’s war come to an end, three US officials told Axios.

The top diplomat reportedly “showed several US allies” a plan that included details on Gaza’s security, administration, and reconstruction after a ceasefire agreement in fulfilled.

“We are ready to hand that over to the Trump administration so it can work on it and run with it when the opportunity is there,” he said at a press conference in Paris last week.

The plan, however, has been the source of contention among US officials, as it could be seen as serving the interests of right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and marginalising the Palestinian Authority (PA). Additionally, Israel has repeatedly said it opposes Hamas or the PA governing Gaza.

Both the US and Israel are allegedly seeking the involvement of Arab countries in post-war Gaza, including the UAE which controversially established diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv back in 2020.

Extremist minister threatens to resign

Meanwhile, extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has urged fellow far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich on Tuesday to quit the Netanyahu cabinet if a deal is approved.

Ben-Gvir called the potential agreement “awful” as it “erases Israel’s achievements in the war”.

“The deal that is taking shape is a surrender deal for Hamas. Therefore, I call on my colleague, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, to join me in full cooperation against this horrific deal… and to announce to the Prime Minister, clearly and firmly, that if it goes through, we will resign from the government,” he said.

Both Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have voiced opposition to any ceasefire agreements, encouraged the bombardment of the Gaza Strip, and advocated for the killing of Palestinians and the resettlement of Israelis in the enclave.

Israel continues campaign against Gaza journalists

Another Palestinian journalist has been killed in Gaza after Mohammad Al-Talmas succumbed to his wounds after the Israeli army struck the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood in Gaza City on Monday.

Israeli forces have frequently targeted Palestinian journalists and imposed a crackdown on media outlets throughout the war in Gaza. At least 160 media personnel have been killed since October 2023, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), but the death toll is expected to be higher.

Tributes have since poured in for Al-Talmas, and his funeral was held on Tuesday.

Violent West Bank raids

In the West Bank, Israeli forces carried out major raids in the occupied territory early on Tuesday, seizing homes and arresting scores of Palestinians.

At least 35 have been arrested, including three brothers, mostly from the town of Salfit but also in Hebron and Tulkarem, as well as surrounding villages.

The Israeli army has also set up checkpoints blocking access to Hebron, and its surrounding towns, according to the Palestinian Wafa agency.

Raids also took place in Qatabiya, near Jenin, where the Israeli army stormed and besieged a home. Witnesses told the Turkish Anadolu agency that a bulldozer arrived at the site and blocked the house’s surroundings. 

The Israeli army also raided the Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, deploying snipers on rooftops, searching homes, carrying out field interrogations, and rounding up Palestinians.

More than 14,000 Palestinians in the West Bank have been arrested by Israeli authorities since October 2023, in an intensified crackdown on the territory in parallel with the war in Gaza.