A temporary Gaza ceasefire deal is close to being finalised in talks between US and Hamas officials in Qatar, sources have told The National.
They said the agreement will provide for a 21-day truce and the initial release by Hamas of up to six hostages, in return for a number of Palestinians held in Israeli jails. It also provides for the resumption of aid relief into the enclave, two months after Israel halted the flow of life-saving supplies.
An Israeli delegation made up of officials from the Mossad spy agency, domestic intelligence service Shin Bet and the military was due in Cairo on Monday. They will discuss logistics for the resumption of aid and the arrival in Egypt of Palestinian detainees travelling on to live in exile in other countries, the sources said.
Hamas, in a goodwill gesture towards the US, was due to release dual US-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander later on Monday, a move the sources described as indicative of the progress made in the Hamas-US talks.
The reported progress comes a day before US President Donald Trump travels to the Middle East on a three-nation tour that will take him to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.
Mr Trump hailed the “monumental news” of Mr Alexander's release in a social media post, describing it as a “good faith gesture”.
“Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict,” he added.
The sources said US mediators in Doha were considering demands by Hamas that the truce last for 70 days and that the Trump administration provide a written guarantee that negotiations for an end to the Gaza war and an Israeli withdrawal from the enclave would begin at a later stage.
“There has been considerable progress towards an agreement in direct negotiations between Hamas officials and US mediators led by Adam Boehler,” said one source, referring to the US envoy for hostage affairs.
“A deal may be announced within a day or a matter of hours,” they added.
Mr Boehler, who led the first known direct negotiations between the US and Hamas in March, is leading American mediators in the current talks in Doha, the sources said. The first meeting was on Sunday, when they held talks that lasted for more than three hours at a suburban hotel in the Qatari capital, they said.
Hamas is designated a terrorist group by the US, Israel and the EU. Israel insists it will not end the Gaza war before Hamas's military and governing capabilities are dismantled. For its part, Hamas has agreed to stay out of Gaza's postwar administration and reconstruction but it rejects Israel's demand that it lays down its arms.
Hamas, according to the sources, wanted seriously injured Palestinian civilians taken out of Gaza to receive treatment, as well as medical supplies for the group's wounded fighters and the remaining living hostages it is holding.
The Israeli military says Hamas is holding 59 hostages, of whom about 24 are believed to be still alive.
The Gaza war began in October 2023 after an attack by Hamas on southern Israel that killed 1,200. More than 52,800 Palestinians have been killed since then and more than twice that number wounded, health authorities in Gaza have said. Much of the enclave's built-up areas have been reduced to rubble in Israel's ground and aerial operations.
A 45-day truce brokered by the US, Egypt and Qatar ended on March 1, but Gaza remained relatively quiet until March 18 when Israel resumed military operations.
Poacher
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
More on animal trafficking
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Brighton, Sunday, 6pm UAE
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
Personalities on the Plate: The Lives and Minds of Animals We Eat
Barbara J King, University of Chicago Press
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THE BIO
Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2
Race card
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
MATCH INFO
FA Cup final
Chelsea 1
Hazard (22' pen)
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
