Israel-Gaza ceasefire deal latest: Qatar to hold press conference as officials focus on ‘coming hours’ – UK Times

A Gaza ceasefire has been reached, a US official has said according to American outlet Axios.

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In contradictory developments to those coming from Hamas sources, an Israeli official has said talks have hit a “last-minute snag”, according to Sky News.

The snag is reportedly around the presence of Israeli forces in the Philadelphia corridor in the south of Gaza, with Hamas demanding Israeli forces withdraw slightly further.

Hamas has approved the ceasefire agreement, a source has told Sky News.

The group’s leader, Khalil Al Hayya, delivered the approval to mediators in Doha, Qatar.

The prime minister of Qatar is meeting Hamas officials in his office in a final push towards a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, a source involved in the talks has told Reuters.

Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who is also the foreign minister, is set to host a press conference this evening.

Qatar is set to give an update on an anticipated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as the US emphasised the “coming hours” for a deal.

The Gulf state’s foreign ministry will hold a press conference in Doha on Wednesday, where a truce is being hammered out by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators.

It comes as US president Joe Biden and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al Sisi emphasised “the urgent need for a deal to be implemented” and said they would be in contact over the “coming hours”.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has denied reports Hamas has agreed to a last-minute ceasefire deal nearly 15 months into the war.

Israeli media channels had reported that, following the green light from Hamas, the deal would be formally announced on Thursday and would come into effect on Sunday with the release of the first of the hostages.

But the prime minister’s office immediately said Hamas had not communicated its answer to the proposal drawn up by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators.

“Contrary to reports, the Hamas terror organisation has not yet returned its response to the deal,” the prime minister’s office said.

The US and Qatar have said that a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Israel and Hamas is closer than ever before, with America’s top diplomat saying a truce could be agreed “at any time”.

Negotiators met in Doha on Tuesday hoping to hammer out the final details of a deal, which would include the release of hostages held by Hamas in return for Palestinians held in Israeli jails being freed.

“I believe we will get a ceasefire,” the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said during a speech, asserting it was up to Hamas. “It’s right on the brink. It’s closer than it’s ever been before,” and word could “come anytime”.

Hamas said the talks had reached the final steps and that it hoped this round of negotiations would lead to a deal after mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the US. An Israeli official said talks had reached a critical phase although some details needed to be hammered out: “We are close, we are not there yet.”

Islamic Jihad, which is separate from Hamas and also holds hostages in Gaza, said it was sending a senior delegation that would arrive in Doha on Tuesday night to take part in final arrangements for a ceasefire deal.

Chris Stevenson has more.