‘Significant progress’ in Doha talks on plan to ensure armed Palestinians don’t return to north Gaza — report

As talks to secure a hostage-ceasefire deal in Gaza continue in Doha, Channel 12 reports that an important gap between Israel and Hamas has been closed — the issue of a mechanism to ensure armed Palestinians do not return to the northern Gaza Strip to regroup.

The outlet reports “significant progress” has been made in agreeing on a mechanism under which Palestinian men, women and children will be able to return to their homes in northern Gaza after passing a security check by international forces.

The report is approved by the military censor, Channel 12 adds, without giving further details on the mechanism.

Negotiators are looking to achieve a halt to the 15-month-old war, together with the release of 100 hostages still held captive by Gazan terror groups, 96 of whom were kidnapped on October 7, 2023.

But despite “cautious optimism” in Israel that an agreement could be close, the network cites unnamed senior officials as saying that Hamas has been hardening its demands on issues such as ending the war in Gaza — a condition that Jerusalem has repeatedly rejected.

Without citing sources, the television news report says that the positive outlook stems from indications from Israeli mediators that Hamas leaders both in the Strip and abroad want a deal — though Yahya Sinwar’s brother Muhammad, who has been operating as the de facto leader of the terror group’s military wing in Gaza, has been slowing things down.