Time needed for breakthrough as effort is on for Gaza truce: Qatar

Negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are continuing but “need time”, host Qatar cautioned on Tuesday, after US President Donald Trump voiced optimism about a possible breakthrough.

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A fresh round of indirect talks, after 21 months of fighting in Gaza, began on Sunday, with Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari confirming discussions had gone into a third day.

"I don't think that I can give any timeline at the moment, but I can say right now that we will need time for this,” Majed Al-Ansari told reporters at a regular briefing, when asked if a deal was close.

With the exception of a week-long truce in November 2023 and a two-month halt that began in January 2025, the indirect talks, principally held in Doha and Cairo, have failed to end the hostilities.

Israel's defense minister has outlined plans to pack hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into a closed zone of the Gaza Strip along the border with Egypt, according to local media reports.

It appears to be the latest version of plans by the Israeli government to maintain lasting control over the territory and relocate much of its population of some 2 million. Critics say that would amount to forcible displacement in violation of international law because Israel's offensive and blockade have made Gaza largely uninhabitable.