The Israeli hostage negotiation team will return from Doha after receiving Hamas' response to the latest deal proposal.
The Prime Minister's Office stated: "In light of the response Hamas delivered this morning, it has been decided to recall the negotiating team to Israel for further consultations.
The PMO added: "We appreciate the efforts of the mediators from Qatar and Egypt, as well as the efforts of envoy Steve Witkoff to achieve a breakthrough in the talks."
According to Axios reporter Barak Ravid, citing a senior Israeli official and a source familiar with the details, Hamas is demanding the release of 200 terrorists serving life sentences for killing Israelis and another 2,000 Palestinian Arabs who were detained in Gaza after October 7 in return for the release of 10 living hostages.
Hamas announced early Thursday morning that it has officially delivered its response to the mediators regarding the ceasefire proposal in Gaza. The Prime Minister's Office confirmed that the "mediators have relayed Hamas's response to the Israeli negotiation team; it is currently being evaluated."
US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff will meet later in the day with Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and a Qatari official in Sardinia, Italy.
Hamas had already submitted an initial response to the mediators on Tuesday, but it was rejected for failing to meet the proposal’s key conditions. Following that, the mediators reportedly sent a firm message to Hamas, demanding immediate and significant flexibility.