File Photo: People walk past stalls selling goods amid the rubble of buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday. AFP
"Direct talks have taken place in Doha between the Hamas leadership and the United States regarding a ceasefire in Gaza, a prisoner exchange and the entry of humanitarian aid," said a senior Hamas official, adding that the talks "are still ongoing".
A second official from the Palestinian group said there was "progress made... notably on the entry of aid to the Gaza Strip" and the potential exchange of captives for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody, "particular concerning Edan Alexander", a US-Israeli captive held by militants.
The second official also reported progress "on the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip".
Gaza militants continue to hold 58 captives seized during Hamas's October 7, 2023 offensive on Israel including 34 the Israeli military says are dead
Israel unilaterally ended the last ceasefire, which lasted two months, on March 18, launching a major offensive in Gaza and ramping up its bombardment of the territory.
It has also cut off all aid to Gaza, saying it would pressure Hamas to release the remaining captives.
Indirect talks between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, have taken place from the early months of the war without bringing it to an end.
Washington had for decades refused publicly to engage directly with Hamas, which it labels a terrorist organisation, before first doing so in March.
Hamas has continued to insist on a deal that ends the war and on April 18 rejected an Israeli proposal for a 45-day truce and captive-prisoner exchange.
The Palestinian health ministry said on Sunday that at least 2,720 people have been killed since Israel resumed its campaign, bringing the overall death toll since the Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza strip broke out on 7 October 2023, to 52,829.
* This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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