DOHA — The Israeli delegation that arrived in Doha on Wednesday for high-stakes negotiations on a Gaza cease-fire has left without reaching any agreements, according to Israeli media reports on Friday.
Haaretz reported that the Israeli negotiating team, comprising representatives from Mossad, Shin Bet, and the military, returned to Israel from Qatar with no breakthroughs in talks concerning key issues outlined by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. These included inspections at the Netzarim route, the presence of the Israeli army on the Philadelphi route, and the management of the Rafah crossing.
Efforts by the US, Qatar, and Egypt to broker a cease-fire and facilitate a hostage swap between Israel and Hamas have stalled due to Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’ demands to halt the ongoing war.
Despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued its offensive on the Gaza Strip following Hamas' attack on October 7 last year. The conflict has resulted in over 40,600 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and left over 93,800 injured, according to local health authorities.
The continued blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, leaving much of the area in ruins. Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6. — Agencies