The ceasefire negotiations come as US President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for his first Middle East tour since taking office in January.
An Israeli delegation arrived in the Qatari capital on Tuesday to hold negotiations on a potential agreement for a prisoner exchange and ceasefire in the besieged Gaza Strip.
According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, cited by the Anadolu news agency, the delegation includes the deputy head of the Shin Bet security service, known only as S., captive affairs envoy Gal Hirsch, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s foreign affairs adviser Ophir Falk, and representatives from Mossad and Israeli military intelligence.
Hamas: Alexander’s Release Result of US Contacts, Not Israeli Pressure
The ceasefire negotiations come as US President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for his first Middle East tour since taking office in January. His tour includes stops in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the report noted.
Netanyahu Reassures Coalition Partners
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly held a call with coalition party officials on Monday, “trying to assure them that Israel wasn’t going to agree to end the war before Hamas is defeated,” the Times of Israel reported.
This comes after he agreed to a request from the Trump administration to send a negotiating team to Doha, the report added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there will be no situation in which he stops the genocide in Gaza, but Israel may agree to a ceasefire for a specific period before resuming its attacks “until the end.” pic.twitter.com/geJ5DlAgKi
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) May 13, 2025
Netanyahu agreed to the request, the report noted, after meeting with US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and speaking with US President Donald Trump via telephone after Hamas released US-Israeli captive Edan Alexander on Monday.
Citing multiple Hebrew media reports, the Times of Israel reported that Netanyahu told coalition partners “that he won’t budge from his refusal to end the war before Hamas’s military and governing capabilities have been completely dismantled.”
The paper said that Netanyahu’s position “could put him at odds with not just Hamas, but also the United States, whose officials for the first time in months are employing rhetoric about ‘ending the war’ in Gaza.”
Trump ‘Hopeful’
Announcing Alexander’s release, Trump said on X that “This was a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators – Qatar and Egypt – to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones.”
“Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict. I look very much forward to that day of celebration,” he added.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 11, 2025
The US president arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday morning, marking the start of his first official foreign tour since taking office in January.
The four-day trip will also include visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, with a focus on securing major agreements amid ongoing regional challenges.
Trump Welcomed in Saudi Arabia with Ceremony, Set to Attend GCC Summit
Trump has ruled out a visit to Israel unless there is progress toward a ceasefire in Gaza, citing Tel Aviv’s ongoing military operations.
(PC, Anadolu)
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