Gaza War Proposal

The US has told Qatar that the presence of Hamas in Doha is no longer acceptable in the weeks since the Palestinian group rejected the latest proposal to achieve a ceasefire and a hostage deal, a senior administration official told Reuters on Friday.

Mediators seeking a Gaza ceasefire are set to propose a truce of under a month to Palestinian operator Hamas, a source with knowledge of the talks told AFP on Wednesday.

Hamas has expressed its openness to any agreements or ideas for establishing a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Israel's Mossad chief is set to visit Qatar to discuss the release of hostages in Gaza, even as Egypt proposed a two-day truce in the Palestinian enclave, as regional tensions simmered.

Egypt has proposed an initial two-day ceasefire in Gaza to exchange four Israeli hostages of Hamas for some Palestinian prisoners, Egypt's president said on Sunday as Israeli military strikes killed 45 Palestinians across the enclave.

The Palestinian Hamas group said on Wednesday that its negotiators reiterated its readiness to implement an "immediate" ceasefire with Israel in Gaza based on a previous U.S. proposal without new conditions from any party.

The head of the CIA, who is also the chief U.S. negotiator seeking an end to the Gaza war and release of hostages held by Hamas, said a more detailed ceasefire proposal would be made in the next several days.

Hamas said on Thursday there was no need for new ceasefire proposals for Gaza and pressure should be put on Israel to agree to a U.S. plan that the Islamist group had already accepted.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Hamas had rejected all elements of a proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza that would help facilitate the release of hostages.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Middle East this week and said Benjamin Netanyahu was on board with a US proposal to bridge gaps and reach a ceasefire.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday urged Hamas to accept a US bridging proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal after what he said was a "very constructive" meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A senior Hamas official on Saturday dismissed optimistic talk by US President Joe Biden that a Gaza truce is nearer after negotiations in the Gulf emirate of Qatar.

Hamas will not accept "new conditions" from Israel in a proposal put forward during talks in Doha aimed at sealing a ceasefire and hostage release in the Gaza war, officials told AFP on Friday.

A new round of Gaza ceasefire talks was underway in the Qatari capital Doha on Thursday afternoon, an offical briefed on the meeting told Reuters.

A Palestinian prisoners watchdog said Tuesday that a man shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank the previous day had been freed during the November truce in the Gaza war.

The US has told Qatar that the presence of Hamas in Doha is no longer acceptable in the weeks since the Palestinian group rejected the latest proposal to achieve a ceasefire and a hostage deal, a senior administration official told Reuters on Friday.

Mediators seeking a Gaza ceasefire are set to propose a truce of under a month to Palestinian operator Hamas, a source with knowledge of the talks told AFP on Wednesday.

Hamas has expressed its openness to any agreements or ideas for establishing a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Israel's Mossad chief is set to visit Qatar to discuss the release of hostages in Gaza, even as Egypt proposed a two-day truce in the Palestinian enclave, as regional tensions simmered.

Egypt has proposed an initial two-day ceasefire in Gaza to exchange four Israeli hostages of Hamas for some Palestinian prisoners, Egypt's president said on Sunday as Israeli military strikes killed 45 Palestinians across the enclave.

The Palestinian Hamas group said on Wednesday that its negotiators reiterated its readiness to implement an "immediate" ceasefire with Israel in Gaza based on a previous U.S. proposal without new conditions from any party.

The head of the CIA, who is also the chief U.S. negotiator seeking an end to the Gaza war and release of hostages held by Hamas, said a more detailed ceasefire proposal would be made in the next several days.

Hamas said on Thursday there was no need for new ceasefire proposals for Gaza and pressure should be put on Israel to agree to a U.S. plan that the Islamist group had already accepted.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Hamas had rejected all elements of a proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza that would help facilitate the release of hostages.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Middle East this week and said Benjamin Netanyahu was on board with a US proposal to bridge gaps and reach a ceasefire.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday urged Hamas to accept a US bridging proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal after what he said was a "very constructive" meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A senior Hamas official on Saturday dismissed optimistic talk by US President Joe Biden that a Gaza truce is nearer after negotiations in the Gulf emirate of Qatar.

Hamas will not accept "new conditions" from Israel in a proposal put forward during talks in Doha aimed at sealing a ceasefire and hostage release in the Gaza war, officials told AFP on Friday.

A new round of Gaza ceasefire talks was underway in the Qatari capital Doha on Thursday afternoon, an offical briefed on the meeting told Reuters.

A Palestinian prisoners watchdog said Tuesday that a man shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank the previous day had been freed during the November truce in the Gaza war.