Negotiations between Hamas and Israel around a truce in Gaza are at a standoff, as both sides remain uncompromising over the extent of the Israeli forces' withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, Palestinian and Israeli sources familiar with the negotiations in Doha told Reuters on Saturday.
Indirect talks over a US proposal for a 60-day ceasefire, led by US President Donald Trump, continued throughout Saturday, an Israeli official told Reuters, seven days since talks began.
Trump said he expected a breakthrough soon based on a new US-backed ceasefire proposal.
However, the carnage in Gaza only seems to be escalating, with the Palestinian health ministry reporting Sunday that 139 bodies had been brought to hospitals in the past 24 hours, the highest number reported since July 2.
Delegations from Israel and Hamas have been in Qatar pressing for an agreement to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, involving a phased release of hostages and Israeli troop withdrawals.
The Israeli official blamed Hamas for the impasse, saying it "remains stubborn, sticking to positions that do not allow the mediators to advance an agreement".
Previously, Hamas has blamed Israeli demands for obstructing a deal.
Hamas had rejected Israel-proposed withdrawal maps that would leave around 40% of Gaza under Israeli control, including all of the southern area of Rafah and further territories in northern and eastern Gaza, a Palestinian source said.
Two Israeli sources said Hamas wanted Israel to retreat to the lines it held in a previous ceasefire before it renewed its offensive in March.
The Palestinian source said aid issues and guarantees on an end to the war were also presenting a challenge. The crisis could be resolved with more US intervention, the source added.
Hamas has long demanded an agreement to end the war before it would free remaining hostages. However, Israel has insisted it would end the fighting only when all hostages are released and Hamas is dismantled as a fighting force and administration in Gaza.
Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli offensive on Gaza has killed at least 57,762 people and wounded 137,656, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, most of whom are women and children.
The true number is believed to be much higher.
An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023, attacks, and more than 200 were taken captive. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages are believed to be still alive.
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