Israel recalled its negotiation team from ceasefire talks in Doha after Hamas responded to an Israeli ceasefire and hostage deal proposal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement on Thursday.
"We appreciate the efforts of the mediators, Qatar and Egypt, and the efforts of White House envoy Steve Witkoff to achieve a breakthrough in the talks," the statement read.
Previously, Axios reported that Hamas demanded the release of 200 Palestinians serving life sentences in Israeli prisons and 2,000 Palestinians detained in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, in exchange for 10 living Israeli hostages. In the original proposal, Israel said it would be ready to free 125 Palestinians from prisons and 1,200 people detained in Gaza since the beginning of the war. Additionally, the media outlet claimed that Israeli officials told United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff that the latest Hamas proposal is "unacceptable."
