• Negotiators are ‘certainly working’ on truce, Netanyahu tells reporters
• Qatar insists ‘we will need time’ for ceasefire
• Palestinian official says no breakthrough achieved so far

DOHA: Indirect Gaza ceasefire talks resumed on Tuesday in Qatar, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington to meet US President Donald Trump, who expressed optimism about a possible breakthrough.

Qatar, a mediator along with the United States and Egypt, said the meetings were focused on a “framework” for the talks. Qatar said negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are continuing but “need time”.

A fresh round of indirect talks, after 21 months of fighting in Gaza Strip, began on Sunday, with Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari confirming discussions had gone into a third day.

“I don’t think that I can give any timeline at the moment, but I can say right now that we will need time for this,” Majed Al-Ansari told reporters at a regular briefing, when asked if a deal was close.

“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 the latest round of negotiations on Sunday, with representatives seated in separate rooms within the same building.

Netanyahu’s trip to Washington is his third visit since Trump’s return to office. On Monday, Trump expressed confidence a deal could be reached.

“I don’t think there is a hold-up. I think things are going along very well,” Trump told reporters when asked what was preventing an agreement.

Sitting across from Netanyahu at the White House, Trump said Hamas was willing to end the Gaza conflict, now entering its 22nd month.

“They want to meet and they want to have that ceasefire,” Trump said when asked if ongoing clashes would derail talks.

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

Trump-Netanyahu meeting

Trump and Netanyahu will meet again on Tuesday evening to discuss Gaza, a day after they met for hours while officials conducted indirect negotiations on a US-brokered ceasefire.

Netanyahu spent much of Tuesday at the US Capitol, telling reporters after a meeting with House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson that while he did not think Israel’s campaign in the Palestinian enclave was done, negotiators are “certainly working” on a ceasefire.

“We have still to finish the job in Gaza, release all our hostages, eliminate and destroy Hamas’ military and government capabilities,” Netanyahu said.

Shortly after Netanyahu spoke, Steve Witkoff said he hoped to reach a temporary ceasefire agreement this week.

“We are hopeful that by the end of this week, we’ll have an agreement that will bring us into a 60-day ceasefire. Ten live hostages will be released. Nine deceased will be released,” Witkoff told reporters at a meeting of Trump’s Cabinet.

An Israeli official accompanying Netanyahu to Washington said the proposal under discussion was “80-90 per cent of what Israel wanted”. “I believe that with military and political pressure,” all the prisoners can be returned, the official told Israeli media.

According to Ariel Kahana of Israel Hayom daily, “President Trump and his advisers are currently exerting considerable effort to reach an agreement” that would lead to the release of the prisoners and could even end the war in Gaza.

However, far-right National Security Minister Ben Gvir opposed negotiations with Hamas, saying that “there is no need to negotiate with those who murder our fighters; they must be torn to shreds”.

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 prisoners,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2025