Gaza ceasefire talks in ‘final round’, US lays out post-war plan

Qatar said negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal were in their “final stages” on Tuesday, expressing hope an agreement could be reached “very soon”.

Doha’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari on Tuesday said the negotiations were in their “final stages”.

“We do believe that we are at the final stages, certainly we are hopeful that this would lead very soon to an agreement,” Ansari said, adding “until there is an announcement, we shouldn’t be over-excited”.

“We have reached a point where the major issues that were preventing a deal from happening were addressed,” he added.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “the ball is now in Hamas’s court”. “If Hamas accepts, the deal is ready to be concluded and implemented.”

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

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.

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.

Israeli media reportedly claimed on Tuesday that under the proposed deal, Israel would be allowed to maintain a buffer zone inside Gaza during the implementation of the first phase.

Hamas said it hoped for a “clear and comprehensive agreement”, adding it had held consultations with other Palestinian factions and informed them of the “progress made”.

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 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.

The progress on ceasefire negotiations comes as President-elect Trump is set to take office for the second time on 20 January. Trump himself has voice enthusiasm for a ceasefire coming to fruition this week.

Blinken proses postwar Gaza plan

On Tuesday, Blinken proposed international security forces and temporary UN leadership to stabilize post-war Gaza but said Israel in turn must agree on a pathway to a Palestinian state.

Blinken acknowledged the misgivings of Israel — where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads a far-right government and expects even stronger US support under President-elect Donald Trump — but pleaded for a new approach.

“We’ve long made the point to the Israeli government that Hamas cannot be defeated by a military campaign alone,” Blinken said at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington.

“Without a clear alternative, a post-conflict plan and a credible political horizon for the Palestinians, Hamas – or something just as abhorrent and dangerous – will grow back,” he said.

Acknowledging the limitations of the Palestinian Authority, Blinken said an unstated number of countries have offered to send troops and police to post-war Gaza.

He said that the “interim security mission” would include both foreign forces and “vetted Palestinian personnel.”

“We believe that the Palestinian Authority should invite international partners to help establish and run an interim administration with responsibility for key civil sectors in Gaza, like banking, water, energy, health,” Blinken said.

Reports emerged earlier on Tuesday that the plan had 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 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.

The post-war deal would take shape in negotiations after an initial ceasefire, which both Blinken and President Joe Biden said was on the “brink” of acceptance.

Netanyahu has long fought the idea of a Palestinian state, and his allies have described the renewed push for statehood as a reward for the October 7, 2023 attack.

Blinken rejected the argument, saying: “Far from rewarding Hamas, accepting a political horizon would be the ultimate rebuke to its nihilistic agenda of death and destruction.”

Blinken, who was repeatedly interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters, also criticised Israel over actions during the deadly war.

“Israel’s government has systematically undermined the capacity and legitimacy of the only viable alternative to Hamas, the Palestinian Authority.”

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.