The Washington Post has reported that a deal that would see Hamas release dozens of hostages is imminent. The US and Israel have denied any such deal, but we’ve heard from Qatar that negotiators are ironing out minor issues in the deal.
Here’s what each of the key players have said:
Qatar: “The challenges that remain in the negotiations are very minor compared to the bigger challenges, they are more logistical, they are more practical,” Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thanisaid in a joint press conference with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. He added that he was “more confident that we are close enough to reach a deal”.
The Washington Post: “Israel and Hamas are close to agreement on a US-brokered deal that would free dozens of women and children held hostage in Gaza in exchange for a five-day pause in fighting,” the report said, citing “people familiar with the emerging terms”.
The US: White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson posted on X: “We have not reached a deal yet, but we continue to work hard to get to a deal.”
Israel: In a briefing last night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there were “a lot of incorrect reports about imminent agreements to free some or all of the roughly 240 people being held”. “As of now there is no deal,” he said.
