Israel to send delegation to Qatar

Hamas requests 'unacceptable' to PM

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The Israeli government said it would send a delegation to Qatar yesterday for talks on the latest US-backed effort to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip after Hamas said it was ready for negotiations on the proposal.

On Friday night, Hamas delivered its formal response to the ceasefire framework, which it said was “characterised as being positive,” and added that it was prepared to start new talks about how to put it into effect.

The Israeli prime minister's office said late Saturday that Hamas had requested amendments to the proposal that were “unacceptable to Israel.” Nonetheless, it added, Israel would send a negotiating team for talks in Qatar, which has been brokering the indirect contact between Israel and Hamas.

Under the latest proposal, the sides would first observe a 60-day truce, during which hostages would be swapped for Palestinian prisoners and Israeli troops would withdraw to agreed lines, according to people familiar with the talks, who spoke anonymously to discuss sensitive issues. Mediators would then use the pause to negotiate a pact that would end the war.

Although Israel and Hamas appear willing to explore the new plan, they still could stall over the most sensitive sticking points, as has happened before.