Despite U.S. optimism, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas stall in Doha amid rising casualties and growing international pressure.
As hopes rise and realities clash, Qatar has cautioned that Gaza ceasefire negotiations will require more time, despite renewed optimism from U.S. President Donald Trump. The talks, held in Doha with mediation by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt, entered a third day on Tuesday — yet with no concrete breakthrough in sight.
“I don’t think that I can give any timeline at the moment, but I can say right now that we will need time for this,” said Majed Al-Ansari, spokesman for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas come after nearly two years of devastating conflict in Gaza, where a total siege, relentless airstrikes, and mass displacement have pushed the humanitarian crisis to unprecedented levels.
President Trump, currently backing Israel while also pushing for a ceasefire, remained confident about the talks. “I don’t think there is a hold-up. I think things are going along very well,” he said from the White House, seated alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — now on his third visit to Washington since Trump’s return to office.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is also set to join the talks in Doha. However, Palestinian officials close to the negotiations indicated that no tangible progress had been made so far.
On the ground, violence continues unabated. On Tuesday alone, five Israeli soldiers were killed in northern Gaza — one of the deadliest days for Israeli forces in recent months. Meanwhile, Gaza’s civil defense agency reported at least 29 Palestinian fatalities, including three children, following a series of Israeli strikes.
Among the victims were nine people killed in a drone strike targeting a camp for displaced people in southern Gaza. “I was in front of my tent preparing breakfast for my four children – beans and a bit of dry bread. Suddenly, there was an explosion,” recalled Shaimaa Al-Shaer, a 30-year-old survivor.
With press access restricted and many areas sealed off, independent verification of casualty figures remains difficult. Still, the United Nations continues to consider Gaza’s health ministry statistics as reliable. Since Israel’s ground offensive began on October 27, 2023, at least 450 Israeli soldiers have died. Civilian casualties in Gaza, however, now exceed 57,575, according to local health authorities.
The U.S. proposal currently on the table includes a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 hostages and several bodies in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Hamas, in return, is seeking guarantees that Israel will not resume fighting during the negotiations, as well as the reinstatement of a UN-led aid distribution mechanism.
Of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas during its October 2023 attack — which left 1,219 people dead, mostly civilians — 49 are believed to remain in Gaza. The Israeli military says at least 27 of them are already dead.
Despite the complexity of the negotiations and the rising death toll, the White House remains determined. “The utmost priority for the president right now in the Middle East is to end the war in Gaza and to return all of the hostages,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
But the path to peace remains perilous. Hardline voices within Israel’s government, such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, oppose any form of negotiation with Hamas. “There is no need to negotiate with those who murder our fighters; they must be torn to shreds,” he declared.
As both sides dig in and mediators scramble for consensus, the people of Gaza continue to suffer — caught in a war with no clear end in sight.