Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that his negotiators in the Qatari capital, Doha, are examining a potential deal with Hamas, including a possible end to the Gaza war.
“The negotiating team in Doha is working to exhaust all chances to reach a deal according to (US envoy Steve) Witkoff’s proposal for a short-term ceasefire and limited hostage exchange or an agreement to end the war, including the release of all hostages, the exile of Hamas fighters, and the demilitarization of Gaza,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
A new round of negotiations between Israel and Hamas began in Doha on Saturday to reach a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement to end 19 months of Israeli bombardment on Gaza.
Witkoff has proposed the release of 10 living captives and half of the dead hostages in return for a 45-day ceasefire. The plan, however, does not oblige Israel to end the war in the Palestinian territory.
Israel estimates that 58 captives remain in Gaza, including 20 believed to be alive. Meanwhile, more than 9,900 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons under dire conditions involving torture, starvation, and medical neglect, which have led to numerous deaths, according to Palestinian and Israeli rights groups and media.
The Israeli army has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 53,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.