Gaza ceasefire hopes recede after Qatar says progress of talks is slow

Progress towards a ceasefire in Gaza has been slow, officials in Qatar have said, dashing hopes of a rapid end to hostilities in the devastated Palestinian territory.

- Jason Burke Jerusalem Malak A Tantesh Gaza

The new round of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas began on Sunday after both sides accepted a broad US-sponsored outline of a deal for an initial 60-day ceasefire that could lead to a permanent end to the conflict, which began 21 months ago.

"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, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, said yesterday, the third day of negotiations.

A Palestinian official familiar with the Doha talks said "no breakthrough has been achieved so far".

The admission that immediate agreement is unlikely may mean Donald Trump will not be able to announce a deal this week during a visit to Washington by Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, as Trump appeared to have hoped.

On Monday, Trump expressed confidence a deal could be reached soon, telling reporters "things are going along very well" and that Hamas "want to have that ceasefire".