
People search for their belongings amid the rubble of buildings destroyed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, Palestine, Jan. 13, 2025. (AFP Photo)
DAILY SABAH | Published January 13, 2025
Qatar on Monday presented Israel and Hamas with a final draft of a deal to end the Gaza war, following a midnight breakthrough in talks attended by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s envoy, according to Reuters.
An official briefed on the negotiations said the text for a cease-fire and release of hostages was hammered out at talks in Doha.
The negotiations involved the chiefs of Israel’s Mossad and Shin Bet spy agencies, Qatar’s prime minister as well as Steve Witkoff, who will become U.S. envoy when Trump takes office next week. Officials from the outgoing U.S. administration are also thought to have participated.
“The next 24 hours will be pivotal to reaching the deal,” the official said.
Israel’s Kan radio, citing an Israeli official, reported Monday that Israeli and Hamas delegations in Qatar had both received a draft and that the Israeli delegation had briefed Israel’s leaders.
Israel, Hamas and the Foreign Ministry of Qatar did not respond to requests for confirmation or comment.
Officials on both sides, while stopping short of confirming that a final draft had been reached, described progress at the talks.
A senior Israeli official said a deal could be sealed within a few days if Hamas replies to a proposal. A Palestinian official close to the talks said information from Doha was “very promising,” adding: “Gaps were being narrowed and there is a big push toward an agreement if all goes well to the end.”
The United States, Qatar and Egypt have worked for more than a year on talks to end the war in Gaza, so far fruitlessly.
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SOURCE: www.dailysabah.com
RELATED: Progress made in talks over Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release, officials say

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar says “progress was made” in ceasefire negotiations with Hamas. US and Arab mediators made significant progress overnight toward a ceasefire and hostage release in Israel-Hamas war, but no deal has been reached yet, officials said. ( AP)
AP NEWS | Published January 13, 2025
CAIRO (AP) — U.S. and Arab mediators made significant progress overnight toward brokering a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and the release of scores of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, but a deal hasn’t been reached yet, officials said Monday.
Three officials acknowledged that progress has been made and said the coming days would be critical for ending more than 15 months of fighting that has destabilized the Middle East. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the talks.
One of the three officials and a Hamas official said that there were still a number of hurdles to clear. On several occasions over the past year, U.S. officials have said that they were on the verge of reaching a deal, only to have the talks stall.
One person familiar with the talks said there had been a breakthrough overnight and that there was a proposed deal on the table. Israeli and Hamas negotiators will now take it back to their leaders for final approval, the person said.
The person said that mediators from the Gulf country of Qatar had put renewed pressure on Hamas to accept the agreement, while U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, was pressing the Israelis. Witkoff recently joined the negotiations and has been in the region in recent days.
The person said that the mediators had handed off the draft deal to each side and that the next 24 hours would be pivotal.
An Egyptian official said that there had been good progress overnight, but that it would likely take a few more days, and that the sides were aiming for a deal before Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. A third official said that the talks were in a good place, but hadn’t been wrapped up. That official also assessed that a deal was possible before the inauguration.
Asked about the talks at a press conference, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said “progress has been made, and I hope that within a short time we will see things happening. But it is still to be proved.”
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SOURCE: www.apnews.com
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