Gaza Ceasefire Talks Are Back on, Hamas Official Says

A Hamas official said Thursday that international mediators have resumed negotiating with the militant group and Israel over a ceasefire in Gaza, and that he was hopeful a deal to end the 14-month war was within reach, the AP reports. Ceasefire negotiations were halted last month when Qatar suspended talks with mediators from Egypt and the United States because of frustration over a lack of progress between Israel and Hamas. But there has been a "reactivation" of efforts in recent days to end the fighting, release hostages from Gaza, and free Palestinian prisoners in Israel, according to Bassem Naim, an official in Hamas' political bureau who spoke with the AP in Turkey.

Another anonymous official familiar with the talks confirmed the return of Qatari mediators. Since the talks broke down, there have been significant shifts in the global and regional landscape. Donald Trump won the US presidential election, and a ceasefire was declared last week between Israel and Hamas ally Hezbollah in Lebanon. Trump is a staunch supporter of Israel, but Naim said he believes the incoming administration could "affect the situation positively" given that Trump had made halting wars in the region part of his campaign platform. Trump this week called for the release of all hostages held in Gaza by the time he takes office on Jan. 20, saying there would be "hell to pay" if that doesn't happen.

Naim said that no "solid, well-formed" new ceasefire proposal has yet been presented to Hamas. And even though ceasefire talks have broken down on multiple occasions throughout the war, he added: "I think it is not a big challenge to reach a deal … if there are intentions on the other side." In the negotiations to end the conflict, the two sides have been at odds on some major points, including whether any halt in the fighting would be permanent or temporary and whether Israeli forces would withdraw from all of the enclave, and on what timetable. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will maintain a long-term military presence in the territory and vowed to dismantle Hamas' military capabilities and ensure that the militant group never governs again. (More details from Naim here.)