A “final round” of Gaza truce talks was due to start Tuesday in Qatar, said a source briefed on the negotiations aimed at ending the Israel-Hamas war after more than 15 months.
Meditators Qatar, Egypt and the United States have intensified efforts to seal a ceasefire that would facilitate the release of hostages held in Gaza since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war.
On Monday, US President Joe Biden said a ceasefire and hostage release deal was “on the brink” of being finalised, just days ahead of the inauguration of his successor, Donald Trump.
Hamas’s October 7 attack, the deadliest in Israel’s history, resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.
On that day, militants also took 251 people hostage, 94 of whom are still being held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says …