Gaza ceasefire deal in 'final stage': Qatar | News

Moderators say talks are at their “closest point” yet, with expectations of a deal imminent.

A ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza is at its “closest point yet”, Qatar said.

Talks to end the 15-month conflict are in their final phase, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told a news conference in Doha on Tuesday. Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, has been trying to soften the deal for many months.

“A draft agreement was handed over to both Hamas and Israel, and the main obstacles on key contentious issues between the two sides were addressed,” Ansari said.

“Ongoing discussions in Doha are focused on finalizing the remaining details,” he continued. “Today is the closest we've come to closing a deal.”

The speaker predicted that the implementation of ceasefire agreement will happen “very soon after it's finalized.”

“We believe that we (Qatar) have been able, through negotiations and through our partners in Egypt and the United States, to minimize many of the differences between the two countries,” Ansari added.

However, he cautioned against setting too high expectations until there is an official announcement.

“We believe we're at the advanced stage, we believe we're at the final stage, but obviously until there's an announcement, there's not going to be an announcement,” he said. “That's why we shouldn't get too excited about what's happening right now. But we're certainly hopeful.”

The US, Egypt and Qatar have spent the past year trying to mediate end to the 15-month war and secure the release of dozens of prisoners taken during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. About 100 Israelis are still held captive in Gaza, although the Israeli military believes at least a third of them are dead.

Israel's military bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 46,000 people and injured nearly 110,000, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

What's in the deal?

According to details leaked by Israeli media, the agreed ceasefire agreement will be implemented in three stages.

The first will see the release of 33 Israeli prisoners held in Gaza. Israel will release 50 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for each female soldier released and 30 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the remaining civilians held captive.

The second phase will begin 16 days later, focusing on negotiations to release the remaining prisoners. The final stage will deal with long-term arrangements, including an alternative government in Gaza and reconstruction efforts.

The reports also said Israel would completely withdraw from the Philadelphia Corridor – the strip of land between the Gaza and Egyptian borders – at the end of the first phase of the deal.