March 1, 2024 – Israel-Hamas war

Ongoing talks to reach a temporary ceasefire agreement to halt the fighting between Hamas and Israel in Gaza and release hostages appear to still be on track, even after more than 100 Palestinians were killed on Thursday as they tried to access food in Gaza City, according to officials familiar with the discussions.

United States officials on Friday said there are no indications that the discussions had been significantly derailed but much hinges on Hamas’ response to what has been discussed between the other countries involved in recent days: Qatar, Egypt, Israel and the US. On Thursday, a Hamas official warned the negotiations could be impacted.

CNN has reached out to several Hamas officials about the potential deal but has not gotten a response.

What could be in a deal: Technical teams have been working on the key components of a potential deal this week in Doha, officials familiar with the talks say. On Tuesday, Qatari spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said disagreements remained over “numbers, ratios and (Israel Defense Forces) troop movements.”

It’s believed that Hamas will demand a higher ratio of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel if Hamas is to release female IDF soldier hostages, as demanded by Israel.

Those involved in the discussions have said an agreement would likely be implemented in multiple phases; and once an initial deal is made, it could lead to a truce lasting for as long as six weeks, with a group of Israeli hostages released — including women, children, the elderly and sick hostages — in exchange for a smaller number of Palestinian prisoners than Hamas had initially demanded.

Read more about ceasefire deal negotiations.