Ceasefire talks between an Israeli delegation and mediators from Qatar, the US and Egypt have entered their third day in Qatar’s capital Doha today, Al Jazeera reports.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, the Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman said that while it remains too early to talk about a breakthrough, Doha remains “cautiously optimistic”.

He added that any attack on Rafah would negatively affect ceasefire talks and that talks in Doha are also focusing on increasing the amount of humanitarian aid entering the besieged enclave.

Mossad chief David Barnea, who was leading the Israeli delegation, returned to Tel Aviv on Tuesday to attend a war cabinet meeting, where Israeli officials discussed proposals and counterproposals made in Doha.

An unnamed senior Israeli official told Israel’s Channel 12 that there is pessimism that a deal can be reached, expressing doubts as to whether Hamas’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, really seeks an agreement or is just playing for time.