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An Israeli delegation departed for Doha, Qatar, on Sunday to resume indirect talks with Hamas for a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner exchange agreement.
According to the Israel Hayom daily, the delegation comprises government coordinator for prisoners Gal Hirsch, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political adviser Ofer Falk, and other representatives from the Mossad and Shin Bet agencies.
Under mounting pressure to end the war now approaching its 22nd month, Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Monday with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been making a renewed push to end the fighting.
On Friday, Hamas said it had delivered a "positive" response to mediators on a recent Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap proposal.
Netanyahu's office, however, on Saturday dismissed Hamas's proposed amendments to the cease-fire proposal as "unacceptable."
Israeli media said the latest proposal likely includes a phased release of half of the living Israeli hostages (10) and half of the remains (18) over 60 days. In exchange, Israel would free a larger number of Palestinian detainees and begin partial troop withdrawals from pre-agreed areas within Gaza.
A Palestinian official familiar with the talks and close to Hamas said international mediators had informed the group that "a new round of indirect negotiations will begin in Doha today."
Two Palestinian sources close to the discussions told Agence France-Presse (AFP) the proposal included a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel.
Hamas' delegation, led by its top negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, was in Doha, the official told AFP. Israel's public broadcaster said the country's delegation had left for the Qatari capital in the early afternoon.
Major sticking points remain as Hamas insists that the U.N. oversee humanitarian aid distribution, demands security guarantees against renewed hostilities after the 60-day truce, and seeks clarity on which Palestinian prisoners will be released.
Israel, meanwhile, insists on Hamas disarmament and the exile of its leaders, conditions Hamas has rejected.
"The changes that Hamas seeks to make to the Qatari proposal were conveyed to us last night and are not acceptable to Israel," Netanyahu's office said in a statement late Saturday.
Israel is racing against time to "depopulate" northern Gaza ahead of a possible cease-fire agreement, a Palestinian source said Sunday.
Israel is "trying to take advantage of the few remaining days before any anticipated truce to expand the scope of destruction and annihilate cities," a source close to Palestinian factions told AA.
"Israel seeks to destroy what remains of life-sustaining infrastructure in northern Gaza, eliminating any chance for Palestinians to return in the future," he added.
In May, the Israeli army launched Operation Gideon's Chariots, which included the full "evacuation" of Palestinians from northern Gaza.
The plan targets confining Palestinians to three narrow coastal areas: western Gaza City, west of the central governorate, and west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
According to Palestinian estimates, the areas where displaced Palestinians are now crammed do not exceed 15% of the total area of the Gaza Strip.
Israel's public broadcaster KAN said Operation Gideon's Chariots is likely to continue for several months and includes "the complete evacuation of Gaza's residents from all combat zones to areas in southern Gaza."
An unnamed Israeli official told Yedioth Ahronoth that U.S. President Donald Trump may announce a cease-fire agreement during his meeting with Netanyahu in Washington on Monday.
Critics in Israel and among hostage families argue that Netanyahu is prolonging the war to appease the hard-right wing of his government and secure his political position.
Hamas's delegation, led by its top negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, was in Doha for the negotiations. Netanyahu instructed the Israeli army to establish a so-called "humanitarian city" in Rafah, even if a new cease-fire agreement is reached in Gaza.
The discussion arose from Netanyahu's directive to create the facility in southern Gaza's Rafah, arguing that even with a cease-fire, the displacement of Palestinians to southern Gaza should continue.
Netanyahu proposed that large tent camps could be established to sever connections between the population and Hamas.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich admitted the Israeli army had failed during a heated security cabinet meeting, lashing out at Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir over humanitarian aid issues in Gaza.
According to Israeli state television KAN, Smotrich told Zamir that the Israeli army had experienced "a major failure" regarding humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.
Chief of Staff Zamir responded to Smotrich's criticism by saying, "You are against the Israeli army."
The war has created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip. Karima al-Ras, from Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, told AFP, "We hope that a truce will be announced" to allow in more aid.
"People are dying for flour," she said.
The UN human rights office said more than 500 people have been killed waiting to access food from Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution points.
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The current war gained a whole new level after Oct. 7, 2023. Gaza health officials said over 57,000 Palestinians have since been killed, with most of them being civilians and kids.
Despite international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a genocidal war on Gaza, killing over 57,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children, since late 2023.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the ICC for its war on the enclave.
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