Gaza truce talks reportedly stall despite second Netanyahu-Trump meeting

Negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Qatar on a new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal have stalled after three days of indirect talks, a Palestinian official has told the BBC.

The official said key sticking points included how aid would be distributed during the ceasefire and Israeli troop withdrawals.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting the US and hopes of a deal had been raised as he had an unscheduled second meeting with President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff also said they were now "down to one" unresolved issue at the Doha talks and that he was hopeful of an agreement on a 60-day ceasefire by the end of this week.

The choreography of meetings between Trump and Netanyahu has given the impression that the momentum towards a ceasefire deal in Gaza is growing.

In a statement released on Wednesday morning, the Israeli prime minister said their latest meeting was "focused on efforts to release our hostages".

"We are not relenting, even for a moment, and this is made possible due to the military pressure by our heroic soldiers."

He added: "We are determined to achieve all of our objectives: The release of all of our hostages - the living and the deceased, and the elimination of Hamas's military and governing capabilities, thereby ensuring that Gaza will never again constitute a threat to Israel."

Israel says 50 hostages are still in captivity, up to 20 of whom are believed to still be alive.

Witkoff said Israel and Hamas were closing the gap on issues that had previously prevented them from reaching a deal.

"We're in proximity talks now, and we had four issues, and now we're down to one," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"So, we are hopeful that by the end of this week, we will have an agreement that will bring us into a 60-day ceasefire."