Hamas described Tuesday’s peace talks in Doha, Qatar, as “serious and positive,” and said in a statement that a Gaza ceasefire agreement and prisoner exchange could be possible if Israel stopped setting new conditions.

The White House also said that it was cautiously optimistic about the talks. US national security communications adviser John Kirby told Fox News “We believe — and the Israelis have said this — that we’re getting closer, and no doubt about it, we believe that, but we also are cautious in our optimism. “We’ve been in this position before where we weren’t able to get it over the finish line.”

US officials of the Biden administration are in a precarious position because both sides Hamas and the Israelis are looking at what President elect Trump is saying from his present work station at Mara Lago, in Florida. Trump has told President Netanyahu to agree to ceasefire and warned the Hamas that they have to release the hostages as agreed and the US will take a serious note of any withdrawal by Hamas from the agreed position.

In a key concession, Hamas officials say they are prepared to show more “flexibility” on the timing of an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza, and Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that a deal is closer than ever.

However, Mr Katz struck a more aggressive tone on social media on Tuesday, saying: “After we defeat Hamas’s military and governmental power in Gaza, Israel will have security control over Gaza with full freedom of action, just as it did in Judea and Samaria” — ie the occupied West Bank.

Hamas’s changing sentiment appears to be the result of several factors. Israel has inflicted heavy damage on Hamas over the course of the war. The group is more isolated after Hezbollah’s ceasefire with Israel, and Iran, a key backer of both militant groups, has suffered a number of setbacks, highlighted by the downfall of its close ally, Syria’s Bashar l-Assad.

According to Egyptian and Hamas officials, the agreement would take place in phases and include a halt in fighting, an exchange of captive Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and a surge in aid to the largely destroyed Gaza Strip. Israel says Hamas is holding 100 hostages — more than one-third of whom are believed to be dead.

Israel is in a stronger position in bargaining with Hamas because Iran has decreased its supplies to the Hamas militants and they are not in a position to buy armaments in open market as before due to their financial crunch.. Even the hardcore of the Hamas leadership is now favouring an early settlement to avoid further bloodshed affecting the Palestinians. (IPA Service)