On Wednesday, the Palestinian group Hamas reaffirmed its willingness to agree to an "immediate" ceasefire with Israel in Gaza, based on a prior U.S. proposal without introducing new conditions. According to a statement from Hamas, their negotiating team, led by senior official Khalil al-Hayya, held talks with mediators in Doha, including Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.

Despite ongoing negotiations, no agreement has yet been reached to end the 11-month conflict, with unresolved issues such as control over the Philadelphi Corridor, a strategic area along Gaza's border with Egypt.

CIA Director William Burns, who is leading U.S. efforts to mediate in Gaza, said on Saturday that a more comprehensive ceasefire proposal would be forthcoming in the coming days. The earlier proposal from U.S. President Joe Biden, put forward in June, outlined a three-phase ceasefire in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages.

The current conflict began on October 7 when Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of approximately 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports. Since then, Israel's military campaign has led to the deaths of at least 41,084 Palestinians and the injury of 95,029 others, as reported by Gaza's health ministry.