Gaza ceasefire negotiations ‘right on the brink’ as mediators meet in Qatar

First phase of agreement likely to involve release of 33 Israeli hostages and up to 1,000 Palestinian prisoners

A man climbs out of rubble and fallen building remains after attempting to search for survivors and bodies of victims at a site that was hit by Israeli bombardment east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on January 14, 2025. Picture: BASHAR TALEB/AFP via Getty Images

Negotiators met in Doha on Tuesday in an effort to hammer out the final details of a ceasefire in Gaza, as the warring sides were reported to be closing in on a deal and the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said the negotiations were “right on the brink”.

Israeli media and reports from the Qatari capital said the agreement would involve an initial release of 33 Israeli hostages, including children, women, elderly people and the sick, and up to 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, alongside a partial Israeli troop withdrawal in a first phase lasting 60 days.