Mediators hold new Gaza ceasefire talks and hope to head off a wider war

International mediators are holding a new round of talks aimed at halting the Israel-Hamas war and securing the release of scores of hostages, with a potential deal seen as the best hope of heading off an even larger regional conflict.

The United States, Qatar and Egypt met with an Israeli delegation in Qatar as the Palestinian death toll from the 10-month-old war climbed past 40,000, according to Gaza health authorities.

Hamas, which did not participate directly, accuses Israel of adding new demands to a previous proposal that had US and international support and to which Hamas had agreed in principle.

White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby called the talks an important step and said they are expected to run into Friday.

He said a lot of work remains given the complexity of the agreement.

A ceasefire in Gaza would likely calm tensions across the region. Diplomats hope it would persuade Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah to hold off on retaliating for the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut and of Hamas’ top political leader in an explosion in Tehran.

The mediators have spent months trying to hammer out a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release scores of hostages captured in the October 7 attack that triggered the war in exchange for a lasting ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Both sides have agreed in principle to the plan, which US President Joe Biden announced on May 31.

But Hamas has proposed “amendments” and Israel has suggested “clarifications”, leading each side to accuse the other of making new demands it cannot accept.