Media: Qatar delivers final draft of Gaza agreement to Hamas, Israel

Qatar, acting as a mediator, has presented Israel and Hamas with a "final" draft of an agreement aimed at achieving a ceasefire and the release of hostages, with the goal of ending the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

A breakthrough in the negotiations was reached in Doha after midnight, following discussions between Israel’s intelligence leaders, President-elect Trump's Middle East envoy, and Qatar’s prime minister, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

US President Joe Biden also held a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the White House. US officials are urgently working to finalize a deal on Gaza hostages and a ceasefire before Biden’s term ends on January 20.

President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed ongoing efforts to reach an agreement aimed at halting the fighting in Gaza and securing the release of the remaining hostages, the White House said after their phone conversation.

Biden emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza, the return of hostages, and the delivery of humanitarian aid, which would be facilitated by a cessation of hostilities under the proposed deal. Israel initiated its military action in Gaza following a Hamas attack in October 2023, in which more than 1,200 people were killed and over 250 hostages were taken, according to Israeli reports. 

Since then, Palestinian health officials report that over 46,000 people have died in Gaza, much of the region has been destroyed, and the population faces a severe humanitarian crisis, with many displaced.

In late November 2023, a humanitarian ceasefire was established in the Gaza Strip for one week with the mediation of Egypt and Qatar. During this period, according to Israeli sources, 110 hostages were released. 

However, on December 1, 2023, the ceasefire was breached, and hostilities resumed in the Palestinian enclave. After several rounds of consultations in 2024 involving Egypt, Qatar, and the US, the conflicting parties were unable to reach an agreement on the terms of a deal.

By Naila Huseynova