PM says Israel will agree to start talks on permanent ceasefire once 60-day truce commences; Hamas tells mediators it won't accept updated Israeli maps of IDF partial Gaza withdrawal

The ongoing presence of negotiators from Hamas and Israel in the Qatari capital, Doha, suggests that both sides are serious about clinching a deal.

Hamas has voiced strong opposition to any potential ceasefire deal that allows Israeli troops to remain stationed in buffer zones within Gaza, denouncing

Hamas said on Wednesday it would release 10 hostages as part of ceasefire talks on the Gaza Strip after Israel struck an upbeat note about the prospects for a deal to stop the fighting in the embattled Palestinian territory.

While the ongoing indirect talks between Israel and Hamas continue in Doha, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington

Negotiators make progress on closing gaps regarding aid and IDF withdrawal, but will need US president's help to bridge key dispute on whether deal will permanently end war

The talks, mediated by Qatar, the US, and Egypt, have reportedly stalled over two major sticking points: how humanitarian aid would be distributed during the ceasefire and whether Israeli forces would withdraw from areas of Gaza currently under military control.

Hamas has vowed “Gaza will not surrender”. One Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations in Doha said the Israeli delegation was “mostly listening rather than negotiating, which reflects Netanyahu’s ongoing policy of obstruction and sabotaging any potential agreement”.

Diplomatic efforts are ongoing as US President Donald Trump looks to secure a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Israel has previously accepted the US proposal, meanwile Hamas has "submitted a positive response" to the mediators.