Talks on Gaza ceasefire and hostage release: What to know

High-level ceasefire talks appeared to be gaining momentum on Monday as Arab and American mediators pushed for an agreement to stop fighting in Gaza and release hostages held by Hamas before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.

It remains unclear whether the parties have reached a resolution on central disputes that have proven insurmountable in previous rounds of negotiations, but officials briefed on the talks have expressed cautious optimism in recent days about the possibility of a deal.

Over the months, repeated rounds of talks saw hopes rise, but they were dashed days later, with Israel and Hamas blaming the other for the impasse.

If an agreement is reached, it will bring some relief to the Palestinians in Gaza, who have suffered from miserable conditions in displacement camps and constant bombing by Israel, and to the families of hostages taken by Israel, who have suffered for months wondering about the fate of their children. Their loved ones.

Who are the players?

• The main mediators in the talks are Qatar and Egypt, relaying messages between Israel and Hamas. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Egyptian General Intelligence Director Major General Hassan Rashad were among the senior officials representing their countries in the negotiations.

• David Barnea, head of Israel’s foreign intelligence service, Mossad, is one of the main Israeli negotiators, along with Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet internal security service, and Major General Nitzan Alon of the IDF. Ofir Falk, foreign policy advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also participated in important meetings related to the negotiations.

• Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official based in Doha, is the movement’s chief negotiator and has communicated with Qatari and Egyptian officials about the details of a potential agreement.

• The United States used its influence to encourage Israel and Hamas to sign an agreement. Bill Burns, the director of the CIA, and Brett McGurk, a senior White House official, toured the Middle East, pressing for a breakthrough in the talks. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, also made visits to Qatar and Israel, and met with senior officials there.

What are they negotiating?

Israeli officials hope to secure the release of at least some of the nearly 100 hostages held in Gaza since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the ensuing war in the Strip.

Hamas leaders want to reach an end to the war in Gaza, which has severely weakened the group’s armed wing and the government, led to the displacement of nearly two million people, and reduced cities to rubble. Hamas officials also said they were seeking a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the return of displaced people from the south of the Strip to the north, and the introduction of materials needed for reconstruction.

What are the biggest obstacles?

• The main obstacle to the success of the talks was the continuity of the ceasefire. While Hamas demanded a comprehensive end to the war, Netanyahu said he wanted a “partial” deal that would allow Israel to resume the war after freeing the hostages.

• Israel is demanding ambiguous language in the text of the agreement that leaves room for the resumption of fighting at some stage. According to a Palestinian familiar with the matter and Israeli officials. Analysts say Mr. Netanyahu fears his right-wing coalition partners could bring down his government and jeopardize his political future if he agrees to a deal that ends the war in Gaza.

• Hamas did not indicate that it would be willing to make concessions on its demand to end the war. Last week, Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, told a rally in Algeria that there must be “an absolute end to the aggression.”