Israel and Hamas held indirect talks in Qatar on Monday, according to a Palestinian official, ahead of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 meeting in Washington with President Donald Trump, who is pushing for a deal on Gaza.
The latest round of negotiations on the war in Gaza began on Sunday in Doha, aiming to broker a ceasefire and reach an agreement on the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
A Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations told AFP a second session was held on Monday and ended with 鈥榥o breakthrough鈥�.
In Gaza, the territory鈥檚 civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 12 people on Monday, including six in a clinic housing people displaced by the war.
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
Salman Qudum, who told AFP he had survived the attack on the clinic in Gaza City, said: 鈥榃e don鈥檛 know where to go or what to do.鈥�
Qudum said the negotiators and mediators in Doha must 鈥榓pply pressure鈥� to secure a ceasefire 鈥榖ecause the people can鈥檛 take this anymore鈥�.
In a statement on Monday, the military said it had struck 鈥榙ozens of terrorists, weapons depots, observation posts, military buildings and other terror infrastructures鈥� across Gaza over the past 24 hours.
Ahead of Netanyahu鈥檚 third visit since Trump鈥檚 return to office this year, the US president said there was a 鈥榞ood chance we have a deal with Hamas... during the coming week鈥�.
鈥榃e鈥檝e gotten a lot of the hostages out, but pertaining to the remaining hostages, quite a few of them will be coming out,鈥� he told journalists.
Netanyahu, speaking before heading to Washington, said his meeting with Trump could 鈥榙efinitely help advance this鈥� deal after 21 months of war.
Netanyahu said he had dispatched the team to the Qatari capital with 鈥榗lear instructions鈥� to reach an agreement 鈥榰nder the conditions that we have agreed to鈥�.
He previously said Hamas鈥檚 response to a draft US-backed ceasefire proposal, conveyed through Qatari and Egyptian mediators, contained 鈥榰nacceptable鈥� demands.
Trump is scheduled to meet the Israeli premier at 2230 GMT Monday, the White House said, without the usual presence of journalists.
In Israel鈥檚 coastal hub of Tel Aviv, hours before the meeting, an AFP photographer said dozens of people including relatives of hostages demonstrated to demand the release of the remaining captives.
鈥楶resident Trump鈥攎ake history. Bring them all home. End the war,鈥� read a sign held by protesters outside the US diplomatic mission in the city.
Of the 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants during the Hamas attack that triggered the war, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
Since Hamas鈥檚 October 2023 attack sparked the massive Israeli offensive, mediators have brokered two temporary halts in the fighting during which hostages were freed in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli custody.
Recent efforts to broker a new truce have repeatedly failed, with the primary point of contention being Israel鈥檚 rejection of Hamas鈥檚 demand for a lasting ceasefire.
