Qatar's prime minister says framework reached for Gaza truce

Qatar's prime minister on Monday said a framework on a phased ceasefire in Gaza has been reached as "good progress" was made during the talks between Qatar, Israel, the United States and Egypt.

The framework is to be relayed to Hamas, said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, also the foreign minister of Qatar, in Washington, following his talks with top Israeli, Egyptian, and U.S. officials in Paris on Sunday.

Sheikh Mohammed confirmed that the framework – which he said "might lead to a ceasefire permanently in the future" – includes a phased truce that would see women and children hostages released first, with aid also entering besieged Gaza. It also includes the release of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.

A senior Hamas official, Taher al-Nunu, said it wanted a "complete and comprehensive ceasefire, not a temporary truce," although it was not immediately clear whether Hamas officials had received the Qatari text. Once the fighting stops, Nunu told AFP, "the rest of the details can be discussed," including hostage releases.

Israel has called the Paris talks "constructive" but pointed to "significant gaps which the parties will continue to discuss."

The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said on Monday Israeli forces killed 215 Palestinians and wounded 300 more in the past 24 hours, adding that the total number of wounded Palestinians since the start of the conflict was at least 65,387.

Israel launched a massive military campaign against Gaza on October 7, 2023, after Hamas mounted a surprise attack on southern Israeli cities that killed around 1,200 people. More than 100 hostages are believed to be currently held in Gaza by Hamas and other militant groups.

In a major escalation in tensions that have engulfed the Middle East since, three U.S. soldiers were killed on Sunday in Jordan while more than 40 others were injured following a drone attack at a U.S. military base near the Syrian border.

Speaking at Washington's Atlantic Council think tank on Monday, the Qatari prime minister said U.S. retaliation for the attack "will definitely have an impact ... One way or another it will definitely have an impact on regional security and we hope things get contained."

He said he hoped U.S. retaliation would not undercut progress toward the new Israel-Hamas hostage release deal in weekend talks.

(With input from agencies)