“We understand that the US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, arrived last night. This is the man who has been credited with what is currently on the table — it seems to be a 60-day extension of the first phase of the ceasefire deal, in return for the release by Hamas of around 10 living captives,” Al Jazeera’s Stefanie Dekker reports from Doha, Qatar.

“What Hamas wants, however, is the start of the second phase, which was stipulated under the ceasefire terms,” she said.

“Why do we have an impasse? Because the second phase for Netanyahu is tantamount to political suicide. His right-wing cabinet members have told him that if there is a second phase, they will leave the government. So these are the pressures that the Israeli PM is facing. It is all about his political survival, which is why you’re seeing the Americans trying to bridge that gap.

“These talks are behind closed doors. There is absolutely zero information coming out.”