Doha, Qatar
Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Tuesday (Dec 17) that talks in Qatar's Doha aimed at a truce and hostage-prisoner exchange in Gaza were "serious and positive."
In a statement, Hamas said, "Hamas affirms that, in light of the serious and positive discussions taking place today in Doha under the auspices of our Qatari and Egyptian brothers, reaching an agreement for a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange is possible if the occupation (Israel) ceases to impose new conditions."
Israel and Hamas have been fighting a war in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.
Israeli delegation arrives in Doha for talks
Hamas' remarks came a day after an Israeli delegation arrived in Doha for talks aimed at bridging gaps (with Hamas).
Also read | Hamas concerned Trump would allow Israel to resume Gaza war after first phase of ceasefire: Report
Since the Gaza war began, Qatar, along with the United States (US) and Egypt, has been working for months to secure a truce and hostage release deal.
But apart from a one-week pause in fighting late last year, successive negotiations have failed to stop the war.
The ceasefire in late November last year saw scores of Hamas-held hostages being released in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Will a ceasefire happen again?
According to a report by the news agency AFP, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz indicated on Monday that negotiators from his country had "not been this close to an agreement" for the release of hostages in Gaza since the truce in November last year.
Meanwhile, a senior Hamas official in Doha told AFP that negotiations for the truce deal were "closer than ever before" but warned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could still "disrupt the agreement as he has done every time before."
Families of hostages call for immediate ceasefire
On Tuesday, families of Israeli hostages took to the streets of Tel Aviv to call for an immediate ceasefire deal that would see the release of all 100 hostages in Gaza amid both Israel and Hamas being close to an agreement.
Also watch | Trump warns Hamas to release hostages soon
Carrying large posters of their loved ones and chanting slogans, the protesters marched on the Tel Aviv headquarters of Prime Minister Netanyahu's Likud party, where they demonstrated outside, a report by the news agency Reuters said.
(With inputs from agencies)