Qatar PM says 'good progress' in Gaza truce, captives negotiations

Qatar's prime minister announced that significant progress was achieved during a recent meeting among intelligence officials from Egypt, Israel, and the United States over the weekend.

The discussions focused on a potential agreement to establish a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict and negotiate the release of individuals held by Palestinian groups in Gaza, reports Al Jazeera.

Spy chiefs from the three nations, at the forefront of negotiations for ceasefires since the commencement of the conflict on 7 October, held meetings at the French capital, Paris, over the weekend, says Al Jazeera.

The sides discussed a potential deal that would include a phased truce that would see women and children released first and humanitarian aid entering the besieged Gaza Strip, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al Thani confirmed on Monday.

"We are hoping to relay this proposal to Hamas and to get them to a place where they engage positively and constructively in the process," the prime minister said during an event hosted by the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, the US.

Qatar's prime minister also said that Hamas had demanded a permanent ceasefire as a precondition to enter negotiations.

"I believe we moved from that place to a place that potentially might lead to a ceasefire permanently in the future," he said.

Al Thani said that talks are "in a much better place than where we were a few weeks ago".

Around 240 people were taken hostage by Hamas on 7 October after the group's fighters launched a surprise attack from Gaza on southern Israel, killing at least 1,139 people, according to Israeli figures.

Israel responded with a devastating bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza, killing more than 26,600 people, according to Palestinian health officials.

Qatar and the US led negotiations of a previous weeklong truce in late November that saw more than 100 captives released by Palestinian groups in Gaza and more than 200 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons released in exchange.