Israel Accepts Qatar-mediated Ceasefire Talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that he is ready to start negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, for which an Israeli delegation will be sent to Qatar.
Israel’s response came after Hamas offered immediate talks, but Netanyahu said that the changes proposed by Hamas in the draft ceasefire agreement were not acceptable to Israel.
A statement issued by Netanyahu’s office said that Israel was informed of the proposals provided by Qatar and the changes made by Hamas last night, but that Israel had objections to several of them.
The statement added that after reviewing the situation, Netanyahu has instructed to pave the way for negotiations at the Qatari invitation.
So that talks can proceed on the same terms for the return of the hostages that Israel has already agreed to.
The talks, led by Qatar and the US, are expected to take place at a time when the Israeli leadership has shown some flexibility in ending the conflict for the first time in 21 months.
According to Al Jazeera reporter Hamda Salhot, until now, Netanyahu has only been under pressure from the families of Israeli hostages and European allies, but this timee the real source of pressure is directly from the US, the effect of which is being reflected in Netanyahu’s recent consultations.
The Israeli prime minister will leave for Washington tonight after further consultations with his cabinet and security officials, where he will discuss a possible ceasefire with former US President Donald Trump.
US officials say that Israel has initially expressed its willingness in principle to propose a 60-day ceasefire, on which negotiations could begin immediately.
Contrary to his previous stance, when Netanyahu insisted that no ceasefire proposal could be accepted until Hamas was eliminated and the hostages were released,
He is now considering how Israel can achieve its security goals through negotiations.
According to reports, practical talks on a ceasefire are expected to begin in the next few days under Qatari mediation, which could pave the way for an end to the ongoing bloodshed in Gaza and the return of the hostages.
