US, Arab mediators make some progress in Gaza peace talks, no deal yet, sources say

U.S. and Arab mediators have made some progress in their efforts to reach a ceasefire accord between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, but not enough to seal a deal, Palestinian sources close to the talks said on Thursday.

As talks continued in Qatar, the Israeli military carried out strikes across the enclave, killing at least 23 people on Thursday, Palestinian medics said. The deaths brought to 76 the number of people killed by Israeli strikes across Gaza in the past 24 hours, according to the territory's health ministry.

Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt are making a major push to reach a deal to halt fighting in the 15-month conflict and free remaining hostages held by Islamist group Hamas before President Joe Biden leaves office.

 

President-elect Donald Trump has warned there will be "hell to pay" if the hostages are not released by his inauguration on Jan. 20.

 

On Thursday, a Palestinian official close to the mediation effort said the absence of a deal so far did not mean the talks were going nowhere and this was the most serious attempt so far.

"There are extensive negotiations, mediators and negotiators are talking about every word and every detail. There is a breakthrough when it comes to narrowing old existing gaps but there is no deal yet," he told Reuters, without giving further details.

 

Another Palestinian official confirmed progress had been made during the talks but cited a new Israeli condition that could undermine reaching a deal.

 

"However, Israel still insists on keeping a 1 km landscape along the eastern and northern borders of the Gaza Strip, which will restrict the return of residents to their homes and represent a retreat from what it (Israel) had agreed upon in July," the official said.

 

"This undermines reaching an agreement and the mediators are exerting effort to convince Israel to return to what had been agreed in the past," the official, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the talks, told Reuters. There was no Israeli comment on the allegations.

On Tuesday, Israel said it was fully committed to reaching an accord to return hostages but faces obstruction from Hamas.

 

The two sides have been at an impasse for a year over two key issues. Hamas has said it will only free its remaining hostages if Israel agrees to end the war and withdraw all its troops from Gaza. Israel says it will not end the war until Hamas is dismantled and all hostages are free.