1st round of indirect ceasefire talks between Israel & Hamas in Qatar ends without any agreement –

The first round of indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, held in Qatar, ended without any agreement, Palestinian sources said. The discussions, which took place in Doha yesterday, were aimed at finding a path to a ceasefire and hostage release deal. The negotiations resumed just before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s third trip to Washington since US President Donald Trump returned to office nearly six months ago. Before leaving for the United States, Netanyahu said that the Israeli negotiators had been given clear instructions to achieve a ceasefire agreement under conditions that Israel has accepted. Netanyahu said he is hopeful that his meeting with President Trump today would help push the ceasefire talks forward. Netanyahu added that one of his main goals is to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and to remove the group’s threat to Israel. Last week, Hamas said it responded in a positive spirit to a ceasefire proposal backed by the US. This followed Trump’s statement that Israel had agreed to the necessary conditions to finalise a 60-day truce.