Qatar presents final draft of Gaza truce to sides
DOHA

This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows a smoke plume rising from explosions above destroyed buildings in the northern Gaza Strip on Jan. 13, 2025 amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas
Mediator Qatar has presented Israel and Hamas with a final draft of an agreement to end the Gaza conflict on Jan. 13, following a “significant breakthrough” in negotiations attended by U.S., according to the sources.
The talks, held in Doha, involved key figures, including the heads of Israel's Mossad and Shin Bet intelligence agencies, Qatar's prime minister and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff.
According to an official familiar with the discussions, the next 24 hours are critical for securing the deal. There had been a breakthrough overnight and that there was a proposed deal on the table. Israeli and Hamas negotiators will now take it back to their leaders for final approval.
Similarly, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Jan. 13 that Israel is "working hard" to reach a deal.
A Hamas official said a number of contentious issues still need to be resolved, including an Israeli commitment to ending the war and details about the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the hostage-prisoner exchange.
Under discussion now is a phased ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly signaled that he is committed only to the first phase, a partial hostage release in exchange for a weekslong halt in fighting.
Report: Trump warns of ‘unnecessary conflicts’
Meanwhile, Trump has reportedly urged the Israeli administration to refrain from causing “unnecessary conflicts” in the Middle East.
According to a report by Israel's Channel 12 television, Trump requested that the Tel Aviv government avoid making harsh statements against the new regime in Syria and continue the ceasefire in Lebanon.
Senior officials within the Trump administration, in their recent discussions with high-ranking Israeli officials, conveyed that “Trump desires calm in the Middle East as much as possible, so he can focus on domestic affairs in the United States."
The report emphasized that "officials from the Trump administration had conveyed that the president, at the onset of his term, did not wish to engage in new wars or deepen old conflicts in the Middle East."
An anonymous Israeli official speaking to Channel 12 revealed that Trump has personally intervened in efforts to reach a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement in Gaza over the past two days, pressing for a resolution before his inauguration on Jan. 20