More than a month after the completion of the first hostage deal with Hamas, six families of hostages still held in the Gaza Strip landed on Friday in Qatar in an attempt to advance negotiations for an additional deal.
Souq Waqif in Doha © Mena Today
More than a month after the completion of the first hostage deal with Hamas, six families of hostages still held in the Gaza Strip landed on Friday in Qatar in an attempt to advance negotiations for an additional deal.
This is the first time since the October 7 massacre that Israeli families have arrived in the hostile country to facilitate the release of the hostages.
The families will meet with the U.S. ambassador to Qatar and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Al Thani in an effort to raise awareness and further the release of their loved ones.
The U.S.-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza and discussions on ending the conflict, an official familiar with the negotiations said on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Israel's Nir Oz kibbutz near the Gaza Strip on Thursday for the first time since Hamas militants penetrated the border and killed or kidnapped nearly one in four residents nearly 21 months ago.
Hamas said on Wednesday it was studying what U.S. President Donald Trump called a "final" ceasefire proposal for Gaza but that Israel must pull out of the enclave, and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas would be eliminated.
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