The new round of talks between Israel and Hamas has ended without any progress, and two Palestinian sources told The Telegraph that the Israeli delegation had no real authority to sign the agreement.
The talks resumed in Qatar on Sunday, ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s third visit to the White House since President Donald Trump returned to power in January.
After the first round of indirect talks in Doha, it became clear that the Israeli side is not authorized to reach an agreement with Hamas and does not have real leverage, the sources said.
Netanyahu said his team had received clear instructions to reach a ceasefire agreement on the terms that Israel has already accepted. He said the talks in Washington could help make progress toward a ceasefire in Gaza.
Donald Trump, for his part, said there was a high probability of a hostage swap this week, and added that the US was working with Israel on many issues, including a permanent deal with Iran.