DOHA: Qatari and Hamas officials say a last-minute dispute in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas has been resolved. Israel announced late Wednesday that Hamas had tried to change agreed-upon understandings for security arrangements along Gaza’s border with Egypt. It strongly rejected the proposals.
Qatar’s prime minister, who has been mediating the talks, met separately with Hamas and Israeli delegations, and shortly afterwards, the dispute was resolved, the Qatari official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss behind-the-scenes negotiations. The Hamas official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the matter was resolved.
There was still no official word on whether a final agreement had been reached. Negotiations between Israel and Hamas hit a last-minute snag on Wednesday, delaying the expected announcement of a ceasefire agreement to pause the devastating 15-month war in the Gaza Strip.
Israel accused Hamas of trying to make changes to already agreed upon arrangements along Gaza’s border with Egypt and said it strongly rejected the move. Hamas called the claims “nonsense”.
The finger-pointing forced Qatar, which has been mediating weeks of painstaking negotiations, to delay an expected announcement of a deal. The sides have been working on a phased agreement that would include the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas, the return of displaced Palestinians in Gaza to what remains of their homes and an influx of desperately needed humanitarian aid into the besieged territory.
It was not immediately clear how serious the dispute was, or whether the agreement was in danger of collapse.
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