Mediators on Monday presented Israel and Hamas with a final draft of a ceasefire deal on Monday, following a breakthrough in midnight talks in Doha, an official told Reuters.
The discussion, led by negotiators from Qatar and Egypt, was also attended by representatives from both US President Joe Biden and the President-elect, Donald Trump.
The draft is aimed at reaching a ceasefire deal on the ongoing Gaza conflict and facilitating a deal that will see the release of 98 Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Key figures at the table included the heads of Israel’s Mossad and Shin Bet agencies and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Biden envoy Brett McGurk and Steve Witkoff, set to become U.S. envoys under President-elect Donald Trump.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent the director of the Mossad foreign intelligence agency, Reuven Shiloh, to the ceasefire negotiations in Qatar.
“The next 24 hours are critical,” the official said, describing the draft as the result of an early-morning breakthrough.
Israeli broadcaster Kan reported that both Israeli and Hamas delegations in Doha received the draft, with Israel’s team briefing its leadership while mediators expressed optimism about it.
A senior Israeli official told Reuters that a deal could be finalized within days if Hamas responds favourably.
Similarly, a Palestinian negotiator close to the talks described the updates as “very promising,” noting that the gaps are closing.
Mediators have been working on a truce for over a year, with the Biden administration saying it was committed to reaching a deal before the expiration of their tenure.
The U.S. National Security Adviser (NSA), Jake Sullivan, revealed on Sunday that the two conflicting groups are “very, very close” to securing a deal, which they are expected to do before January 20, when Trump will assume office.
“We are still determined to use every day we have in office to get this done,” he said.
According to him, the president “is likely, in the near term, to engage with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and we are not, by any stretch of imagination, setting this aside.”
“There is still a chance for an agreement, but Hamas could remain intransigent,” Sullivan warned
Trump has warned of “severe consequences” for Hamas if hostages are not released before he takes office. He, however, did not state how he hoped to achieve it.
The war in Gaza escalated following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, claiming about 1200 lives with over 250 hostages kidnapped.
Since then, more than 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials, data deemed reliable by the United Nations.