Israel closer than ever to a deal on Gaza hostages, says minister

Israeli negotiators have never been closer to a deal for the release of hostages in Gaza since the November 2023 truce in the war between Israel and Hamas, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Dec 16.

- 

A source later told AFP that an Israeli technical team had arrived in Doha, Qatar, on Dec 16 "to discuss the ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza".

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, added that the meetings were "between Israeli and Qatari working-level teams".

According to his spokesman, Mr Katz told members of the Israeli Parliament's foreign affairs committee: "We have not been this close to an agreement on the hostages since the previous deal."

A senior Hamas official based in Doha also said the negotiations were progressing.

"A deal for exchanging prisoners and ceasefire between the resistance and the occupation has actually become closer than ever before, if (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu does not intentionally disrupt the agreement as he has done every time before," the official said on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter.