According to media reports, Israel's indirect negotiations with radical Islamist Hamas over a temporary ceasefire and the release of hostages face new difficulties.
Israel does not want to participate in a new round of negotiations mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the USA until Hamas presents a list of hostages still alive, the news portal Axios reported this evening.
Many questions still remain unanswered
Hamas has also not yet responded to the number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons proposed by mediators that Israel would release in exchange for the release of a certain number of hostages.
All these questions remained unanswered even after three days of talks in Qatar's capital Doha, the portal said citing an unnamed Israeli official. A next round of negotiations is expected to take place in Cairo next week.
Restriction on both sides
However, Israel will not participate until Hamas responds to outstanding issues, the Israeli source said. Hamas still holds 134 hostages. According to Israeli estimates, about 100 of them are likely to be alive.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Egyptian sources, that Hamas has frozen its communications with mediators due to the deaths of more than 100 Palestinians in clashes over aid deliveries.