The Albany Gazette - Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations resume as Trump pushes for deal

"Indirect negotiations are continuing this morning in Doha, with a fourth meeting being held... the discussions are still focused on the mechanisms for implementation, particularly the clauses related to withdrawal and humanitarian aid," a Palestinian official close to the talks told AFP.

"No breakthrough has been achieved so far, and the negotiations are ongoing," another Palestinian official said.

Israel and Hamas began their latest round of negotiations on Sunday, with representatives of the two sides seated in different rooms in the same building.

With the talks underway, Netanyahu travelled to Washington for his third visit since Trump's return to power, where the US president on Monday voiced confidence a deal could be reached.

"I don't think there is a hold-up. I think things are going along very well," the US leader told reporters when asked what was preventing a peace deal.

Sitting on the opposite side of a long table from the Israeli leader, Trump also said Hamas was willing to end the conflict in Gaza, which is entering its 22nd month.

"They want to meet and they want to have that ceasefire," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if clashes involving Israeli soldiers would derail talks.

Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff was set to join the talks in Doha this week.

- 'We don't care' -

Netanyahu meanwhile ruled out a full Palestinian state, insisting Israel would "always" keep security control over the Gaza Strip.

"Now, people will say it's not a complete state, it's not a state. We don't care," Netanyahu said.

On the ground, five Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in northern Gaza, the military said Tuesday, one of the deadliest days for Israeli forces in the Palestinian territory this year.

Netanyahu lamented a "difficult morning", saying: "All of Israel bows its head and mourns the fall of our heroic soldiers, who risked their lives in the battle to defeat Hamas and free all our hostages."

Israeli military correspondents reported the deaths occurred when improvised explosive devices detonated in the area of Beit Hanun in the north of the territory.

At least 445 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the start of the war in Gaza, according to an AFP tally.

On Monday, the civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 12 people in Gaza, including six in a clinic housing people displaced by the war.

Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency.

The war has created dire humanitarian conditions for Gaza's more than two million people.

While Israel has the full backing of the Trump administration, the US leader has increasingly pushed for an end to what he called the "hell" in Gaza and said on Sunday he believes there is a "good chance" of an agreement this coming week.

"The utmost priority for the president right now in the Middle East is to end the war in Gaza and to return all of the hostages," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

Leavitt said Trump wanted Hamas to agree to a US-brokered proposal "right now" after Israel backed the plan for a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

- Envoy trip -

The US proposal included a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel, two Palestinian sources close to the discussions had earlier told AFP.

The group was also demanding certain conditions for Israel's withdrawal, guarantees against a resumption of fighting during negotiations, and the return of the UN-led aid distribution system, they said.

Of the 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants during the October 2023 Hamas attack that triggered the war, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.

Hamas's October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 57,523 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The UN considers the figures reliable.

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(B.Ramirez--TAG)