Israel makes new withdrawal offer amid Gaza ceasefire talks

Israel has submitted a new proposal to Qatari mediators for a partial withdrawal of its forces from Gaza, amid indirect talks on a ceasefire-for-hostages deal with Hamas, Israel's state-owned Kan TV reported on Wednesday.

According to the report, Israel presented a new map in Doha outlining a partial pullback from the Morag Corridor, an area between Rafah and Khan Younis, southern Gaza's largest city, which Israeli forces have seized and turned into a fortified military zone.

The corridor, established in April, is one of several "security zones" Israel created by razing buildings and infrastructures to divide the enclave. Israeli officials had previously said the military would not withdraw from the Morag Corridor.

The official said that the new proposal marks "substantial progress" in the negotiations.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said: "We're getting very close to a deal on Gaza." However, he cautioned that nothing was certain. Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, for a talk that focused on a possible deal, according to Netanyahu. However, no breakthrough was announced after the meeting.

On the Palestinian side, Hamas issued a statement on Wednesday night, saying it has agreed to release 10 hostages as part of the ongoing peace negotiations.

Earlier in the day, Palestinian Islamic Jihad Deputy Secretary-General Mohammed Al-Hindi told Qatar's Al-Araby TV that no real breakthrough had been achieved in the ongoing negotiations, citing continued disagreements over key issues such as the Israeli withdrawal, the entry of humanitarian aid, and guarantees for the post-ceasefire phase.

Negotiating teams have been in Doha since Sunday for indirect talks on a U.S.-backed 60-day ceasefire proposal. The deal would include the release of 10 living hostages and the remains of several others. Israel estimates that around 50 hostages are still held in Gaza, with about 20 believed to be alive.

Israel launched its offensive following a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage. According to authorities in Gaza, at least 57,680 people have been killed since the start of the war.

Expert: Ceasefire stalemate reflects fundamental disagreement

While Wednesday's progress marks the third major round of ceasefire talks since Israel launched its offensive in Gaza, "the previous two negotiations ultimately resulted in only short-term truces," said Niu Xinchun, a professor at the China-Arab States Research Institute of Ningxia University.

In an interview with China Media Group, Niu said that the objectives of the two sides are fundamentally incompatible. 

"Hamas's basic demand is to survive, which means Israel must completely end the war and agree to a permanent ceasefire. However, Israel has two goals: first, to rescue all the hostages; second, to completely eliminate Hamas – which means a permanent ceasefire is not possible," Niu said.

He added that unless both parties make concessions on their core demands, the chances of reaching a lasting agreement remain slim.

(With input from Xinhua)