A final round of negotiations is being held on Tuesday, January 14, in Qatar with a view to a truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, after fifteen months of a war which has left tens of thousands dead. Qatar, mediator country between the Jewish state and the Palestinian Islamist movement, affirmed that the main obstacles to a ceasefire had been resolved during the latest discussions in Doha. Major questions “have been resolved during the talks over the past two weeks”said the spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry at a press conference. Follow our live stream.
A ceasefire “on the verge of being concluded” according to Joe Biden. The American president considered that an agreement, based on a three-stage ceasefire plan that he himself presented at the end of May, was imminent. Despite intense diplomatic efforts, no truce has yet been concluded since that which took place at the end of November 2023.
The outlines of an agreement are becoming clearer. Two sources close to the negotiations told AFP that the first phase of the draft agreement provided for the release of 33 hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Times of Israel obtained the same information: the daily cited Israeli officials.
Israel continues its strikes in Gaza. The Palestinian enclave’s Civil Defense reported the deaths of at least 18 people, including several children, in Israeli airstrikes and nighttime bombardments. On Monday, the Israeli army bombarded Gaza City throughout the day, killing more than 50 people according to emergency services. The Israeli army said it was investigating the information.
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