Egypt tells WSJ: Truce talks ongoing, Qataris still in Israel

Egyptian officials tells the Wall Street Journal that truce talks are ongoing despite the departure of Israeli negotiators from Qatar.

According to unnamed officials quoted by the paper, Qatari officials remain in Israel and Egyptians are in Gaza to keep lines of communication open.

“We are still talking and sharing updates every hour. Negotiations only collapse when parties stop talking. This is not happening here,” a senior Egyptian official is quoted saying.

The paper reports that the Israeli team members told the other mediators in Doha on Friday night that they would leave the next day.

Israel says Hamas refused to release 17 women and children, breaching the terms of the truce.

Hamas deputy head Saleh Arouri tells broadcaster Al-Jazeera that any remaining hostages are men, “all of whom served in the (Israeli) army.”