Qatar says it is working to establish a permanent Gaza ceasefire, not a short-term truce

Israel and Hamas are not close to a deal on a cessation of hostilities in Gaza and releasing hostages, mediator Qatar said on Tuesday. "We are not near a deal, meaning that we are not seeing both sides converging on language that can resolve the current disagreement over the implementation of a deal," foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told a news conference, adding that talks between the parties continued.