On Monday, mediators presented Israel and Hamas with the final draft agreement to end the war in Gaza, an official familiar with the negotiations told Reuters. According to the official, the text of the ceasefire and hostage release agreement was presented by Qatar to both parties at talks in Doha, attended by Israeli intelligence leaders and the Prime Minister of Qatar. Steve Witkoff, who will become the US envoy when Trump returns as US President next week, and the outgoing Biden administration envoy Brett McGurk were present at the talks.
Negotiations continued until early Monday morning, with Witkoff putting pressure on the Israeli delegation in Doha, and Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani urging Hamas officials to conclude the agreement.
“The next 24 hours will be crucial for reaching an agreement,” said the official, describing the draft as the result of a breakthrough achieved early Monday morning.
Israeli radio Kan, citing an Israeli official, reported on Monday that the Israeli and Hamas delegations in Qatar received the draft and that the Israeli delegation informed Israeli leaders.
“Negotiations on some key issues have made progress, and we are working to finalize what remains shortly,” a Hamas representative told Reuters on Monday.
A senior Israeli official said the deal could be concluded within days if Hamas responds to the proposal. A Palestinian official close to the negotiations said information from Doha was “very promising,” adding that “gaps are narrowing, and there is a big push to reach an agreement if all goes well to the end.”
In Cairo, an Egyptian security service representative told Reuters that the draft sent to the two warring parties is not a final agreement but “aims to address unresolved issues that hindered previous negotiations.”
The United States, Qatar, and Egypt have been negotiating an end to the war in Gaza for over a year, but so far without success. For several months, the warring parties have generally agreed on the principle of a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. However, Hamas has always insisted that the deal should lead to the final end of the war and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, while Israel has stated that it will not end the war until Hamas is eliminated.
Israel launched an offensive on Gaza after Hamas militants invaded Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing more than 250 hostages.