Smoke rises in Gaza after an explosion, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, July 6, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas towards a ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip have started in Qatar, a Palestinian official familiar with the talks told AFP on late Sunday (July 6, 2025).
“Negotiations are about implementation mechanisms and hostage exchange, and positions are being exchanged through mediators,” the official said. The talks began at around 9:30 p.m. Jerusalem time and were still going on, he added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under mounting pressure to end the war, said on Sunday (July 6, 2025) that he hoped an upcoming meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump could “help advance” a Gaza ceasefire deal.
But even as he announced late on Saturday (July 5, 2025) that he was sending negotiators to Doha for indirect talks with Hamas, he said the group’s response to a draft U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal contained “unacceptable” demands.
Published – July 07, 2025 02:52 am IST
