Main obstacle to Gaza ceasefire remains names and numbers of captives: Report

The main obstacle in the Doha negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and captive exchange deal remains the names and number of captives to be released in the first round, an Israeli official told the Times of Israel.

According to the official, Israel does not believe it will reach the second round of the ceasefire and is, therefore, trying to get as many captives out as possible in the first stage.

"We hope that it will bring momentum to another deal," they said, adding that Hamas "is not going to release everyone. They don’t have an interest in doing that - unless Israel says it’s the end of the war, and Israel will not say that".