Hamas officials have stated that the group held rare direct discussions with United States representatives in Qatar regarding a ceasefire in Gaza.
Two officials from the Palestinian organization confirmed this to AFP on Sunday, as deadly Israeli airstrikes continued to hit the blockaded Gaza Strip.
A senior Hamas official reported that “direct talks have taken place in Doha between the Hamas leadership and the United States regarding a ceasefire in Gaza, a prisoner exchange and the entry of humanitarian aid,” adding that these discussions “are still ongoing.”
This development coincided with reports from Gaza’s civil defense agency that Israeli strikes on Sunday resulted in the deaths of at least 12 people, including four young children.
A second Hamas official indicated that “progress made… notably on the entry of aid to the Gaza Strip” and the potential exchange of hostages held by Gaza resistance forces for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody, with specific mention of “Edan Alexander,” a US-Israeli captive.
This official also noted progress “on the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.”
Hamas is still holding 58 hostages who were seized during Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which initiated the ongoing war.
The Israeli military has stated that 34 of these hostages are deceased.
Israel ended the last ceasefire, which had lasted for two months, on March 18, subsequently launching a significant offensive in Gaza and intensifying its bombardment of the territory.
Additionally, Israel has halted all aid shipments to Gaza, stating this is to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages.
Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel, facilitated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, have been ongoing since the early stages of the conflict but have not yet resulted in a resolution.
Washington had previously maintained a decades-long policy of refusing direct public engagement with Hamas, which it designates as a terrorist organization, before holding its first such direct talks in March.
Hamas has consistently demanded an agreement that includes an end to the war and had rejected an Israeli proposal on April 18 for a 45-day truce and hostage-prisoner exchange.
