Overview

• Israel sent negotiators to Doha on July 6 to begin indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage exchanges.
• Initial sessions have produced no breakthrough and negotiators will reconvene this evening to refine implementation mechanisms.
• Mediators from the US, Qatar and Egypt are exploring a proposal linking a 60-day truce to the release of ten living hostages, several bodies and Palestinian detainees.
• Netanyahu judged Hamas’s requested amendments unacceptable but instructed his team to negotiate based on the core terms Israel has accepted.
• Netanyahu met President Trump on July 7 to seek US support for the talks, and Trump, citing Gaza’s dire humanitarian toll, expressed optimism that a deal could be reached this week.