Destruction following an Israeli airstrike on Maghazi refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, January 3, 2025. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

The truce will see a “limited” release of hostages, including female Israeli soldiers, in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails, they said. Israel has also agreed to withdraw from a strip of land that runs the length of Egypt’s border with Gaza on the Palestinian side, which includes Rafah, sources familiar with the talks told The National News on Friday.

A new round of indirect negotiations resumed in Doha, Qatar, which focuses on a deal “that leads to a complete ceasefire and the enemy's withdrawal from Gaza”.

According to The National News, the Israeli delegation is continuing technical meetings that have been ongoing for some time in Qatar, aimed at bridging gaps between Hamas and Israel. Initial assessments, however, indicated no major breakthroughs in the negotiation.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council has begun another emergency session on the conflict in Gaza, discussing the recent Israeli raid of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Strip. The session was requested by Algeria, the Arab representative on the Security Council.