Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Monday, March 18, 2024
From the Liveblog of
Monday, March 18, 2024
Israeli official says Jerusalem pessimistic about Doha talks; US hinting at slowing arms sales
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Families of Israelis held hostage by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip and activists protest calling for the for their release outside the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, March 17, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/ Flash90)
An Israeli official tells The Times of Israel that they are not “optimistic at all” as negotiations over a hostage deal kick off in Doha.
At the same time, says the official, because of building international and domestic pressures, “we cannot afford to not exhaust this opportunity.”
The prospect of the US slowing the sale of ammunition to Israel is “looming in the background,” says the official, adding that there has never been an explicit threat.
“It’s communicated through back channels, more hinted. But it’s something that is happening.”
