Gaza peace talks progressing but ceasefire deal still 'weeks away', says Arab diplomat

The talks for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and release of hostages have made progress lately, but the deal is still weeks away, according to an Arab diplomat.

The statement comes in the wake of reports in recent days that a deal between Israel and Hamas was imminent and wases just days away.

Amid such reports, The Times of Israel has now reported an Arab diplomat as saying that mediators continue to make progress toward a ceasefire in Gaza and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, but it will likely need weeks and not just days.

“The trajectory is good, but there are still major issues to be negotiated followed by difficult political decisions that both sides will need to make," said the diplomat.

In recent weeks, following a series of Israeli military successes against Hamas and Hezbollah, talks for a deal between Israel and Hamas have made progress. There have been reports that owing to the military pressure, Hamas has become flexible in negotiations and has agreed to major concessions to Israel, including agreeing to an extended ceasefire instead of a permanent end of the war and agreeing to presence of Israeli soldiers inside even after the fighting stops.

Israel’s Hebrew media outlets have also reported that even though the deal could still be struck before the end of the month as progress has been made, it could not be said with certainty as gaps still remain between both the sides.

An Israeli official told Channel 12 that “we are in the final stages of reconciliation” and it will be known in the coming days whether there will be a deal or not.

The official quoted the recent progress to the CIA Director Bill Burns’ efforts, who visited Qatar earlier this week to take part in the negotiations.

After withdrawing from negotiations last month, Qatar appears to have resumed its role as a mediator in indirect talks between Israel and the United States.

The outgoing Joe Biden administration is coordinating peace efforts with the incoming Donald Trump administration. Officials from the incoming Trump administration have visited the region and held talks with leaders of Qatar and Israel, following which talks picked up pace.

Amid such developments, Yaron Cohen, the official in-charge of hostages-related matters at the Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), conveyed a message to the families of hostages on Thursday that recent developments and US influence have created conditions under which a deal can be reached, according to The Times of Israel.