News - Middle East: The initial session of indirect ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel, held in Qatar, concluded without progress, according to two Palestinian sources familiar with the discussions.

The sources, speaking to Reuters early Monday, stated that the Israeli delegation lacked sufficient authority to finalize an agreement with Hamas.

"After the first session of indirect negotiations in Doha, the Israeli delegation is not sufficiently authorized and is not authorized to reach an agreement with Hamas, as it has no real powers," they noted.

Ceasefire could happen this week: Trump 

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he believed a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas could happen this week.

The US president said that there is “a good chance” a Gaza captive release and ceasefire deal could be reached with Hamas this week. 

“I think we’re close to a deal on Gaza; we could have it this week. There’s a good chance we have a deal with Hamas during the week pertaining to quite a few of the hostages. You know, we’ve got a lot of the hostages out. But we think we’ll have that done this week,” Trump told reporters.

The talks, which resumed on Sunday, coincided with preparations for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s third White House visit since US President Donald Trump’s return to office nearly six months ago.

Netanyahu, before departing for Washington, emphasized that Israeli negotiators were given clear instructions to secure a ceasefire under terms acceptable to Israel.

A Palestinian official confirmed to AFP that international mediators informed Hamas that negotiations would restart in Doha on Sunday.

Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported that a negotiating team was dispatched to Qatar to address unresolved issues in the ceasefire proposal. “The team is working to resolve points of contention with Hamas,” KAN stated.

Netanyahu’s office had previously announced plans to send a delegation to Qatar for indirect talks with Hamas. However, it rejected Hamas’s proposed amendments to a 60-day ceasefire plan as “unacceptable,” without providing details.

This followed Hamas’s statement that it had responded “positively” to the ceasefire proposal, expressing readiness to negotiate terms, including a captive exchange and steps to end Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

Israeli forces kill 82 people across Gaza

Amid the talks, Israeli forces killed at least 82 people across Gaza, including 39 in Gaza City alone.

Survivors of the Israeli strikes in Gaza City described “apocalyptic” scenes on Sunday as residents in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood retrieved body parts of victims and scrambled to rescue those trapped under the rubble.

The previous day, Israeli strikes across Gaza killed at least 42 Palestinians, many of whom were aid seekers, per hospital reports from the besieged territory.

Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that Israel’s ongoing offensive has killed at least 57,268 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 135,625 others.

A prior ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, effective from January 19, was breached when Israel resumed its military aggression on March 18, killing at least 400 people in overnight attacks.

Backed by the United States, Israel withdrew from negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire deal, which aimed to end the war and secure the release of remaining Israeli captives in Gaza.

Source: Press TV