Israel says Hamas ceasefire demands 'unacceptable', sends team to Qatar for talks

U.S. President Donald Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, as Israeli and Hamas delegations are set to hold a fresh round of ceasefire talks in Qatar.

Hamas said on Friday that it had responded to a U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal in a "positive spirit", days after Trump that said Israel had agreed "to the necessary conditions to finalize" a 60-day truce.

But in a sign of the potential challenges still facing the two sides, a Palestinian official cited by Reuters said concerns remained over humanitarian aid, passage through the Rafah crossing in southern Israel to Egypt and clarity over a timetable for Israeli troop withdrawals.

Hamas demands "Unacceptable"

"The changes that Hamas seeks to make to the Qatari proposal were conveyed to us last night and are not acceptable to Israel," Netanyahu's office said in a statement late on Saturday.

The office added that the delegation will still fly to Qatar for talks over a possible deal to "continue the efforts to secure the return of our hostages based on the Qatari proposal that Israel agreed to."

Netanyahu has repeatedly demanded the disarmament of Hamas, a position the group, which is thought to be holding 20 living Israeli hostages, has so far refused to discuss.

Gaza "Teetering on famine"

Fighting continues. Israeli air and artillery strikes killed at least 24 Palestinians on Friday and more than 70 the previous day, Gaza's health ministry said, lifting its death toll to around 57,000. Around 2,000 Israelis have been killed in the conflict.

UN agencies say northern Gaza is "teetering on famine," and warn that another breakdown in talks could trigger an exodus toward the Egyptian border.