Israel will send delegation to Qatar for further talks, official says

An Israeli delegation is expected to arrive in Qatar as soon as Monday for intensive talks with mediators aimed at closing the gaps around a new deal for a temporary cease-fire with Hamas and the release of some hostages held in the Gaza Strip, according to an Israeli official familiar with the discussions.

The negotiations in Qatar will come on the heels of talks held in Paris on Friday between an Israeli delegation and mediators from the United States, Qatar and Egypt.

In those discussions, Israel’s delegation agreed to a basic outline for a deal that would involve a six-week truce and the exchange of about 40 hostages captive in the enclave for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, according to two Israeli officials and a regional diplomat who all requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the talks. The numbers of hostages and prisoners will likely change over the course of further negotiations, the officials cautioned. Recent discussions around a potential hostage deal have focused on the release of women, elderly and wounded captives.

An Egyptian official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed Sunday that the talks that began in Paris were expected to continue in Qatar and later in Cairo.

Hamas representatives did not attend the Paris meeting, and it was not immediately clear how acceptable the outline was to the group, or to what degree it reflects the positions of the mediators. Much of it, however, broadly corresponds to terms sketched out in late January at an earlier meeting in Paris between representatives of the United States, Israel, Qatar and Egypt. That round of talks failed to result in a deal.

Israel’s war Cabinet on Saturday night approved the broad terms for a potential deal based on the discussions in Paris, one of the Israeli officials said, clearing the way for a delegation to head to Qatar.

The goal, the two Israeli officials said, was to reach a deal before the start of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month. Ramadan is expected to begin around March 10.

One main sticking point in negotiations has been Hamas’ insistence, at least publicly, on a complete cessation of hostilities as a condition for any hostage deal, as well as the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners, including hundreds convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis.

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