THE negotiators Qatar, Egypt, and the United States have noted the positive development in the peace talks between Israel and Hamas currently going on in Doha.
Both parties, according to mediators, are trying to press more demands before securing the much-awaited ceasefire deal.
Hamas has agreed to release 34 Israeli captives from the list provided by Israel as part of the first phase of a potential deal.
Hamas demanded a call for calm to determine which of the hostages from the list were still alive, although Israel has slammed the group for not determining the status of those held in Gaza.
Additionally, Hamas is demanding commitments for a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from Gaza. Netanyahu, on the other hand, has said he has no intentions of securing a permanent ceasefire but rather a partial deal that pauses the war.
Furthermore, he has categorically rejected the call for a full Israeli pullout from Gaza. The Israeli prime minister has pledged his country will fight until “total victory” and Hamas is “eliminated,” which according to experts is not an achievable goal.
As part of the peace deal, Israel is expected to release hundreds of Palestinian detainees; however, both sides disagree over the exact number and names of the prisoners to be released.
Israel has declined to release Hamas officials and operatives like Marwan Barghouti, a Palestinian leader from the Fatah faction who is currently serving a life sentence for his role in deadly attacks on Israelis.
Meanwhile, the war in Gaza has displaced over 90 per cent of the pre-war population of 2.3 million people. Hamas, which carried out the October 7 assault, wants the removal of the Israeli defence forces from the population centres of Gaza and the return of Palestinians to their homes, reports said.
