Doha talks enter critical phase: Can a prisoner exchange deal be reached before Trump's inauguration?

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Amid a mix of cautious optimism and skepticism, Israelis and Palestinians await the outcome of negotiations in Doha. The urgency stems from U.S. President Donald Trump's demand for a ceasefire agreement before January 20, nine days before his administration leaves office.  

An Israeli delegation rushed to Doha following late-night talks on Saturday in Tel Aviv with Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted on adding nine Israeli hostages to the prisoner exchange list but reportedly agreed to negotiate the second phase of the deal during the implementation of the first. This includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Philadelphi Corridor after the second phase.  

Despite intensive discussions, Israeli officials and those familiar with the negotiations revealed no agreement on core issues. Progress remains elusive unless Hamas concedes its demand for a ceasefire or Netanyahu backs down on continuing military operations.  

In the meantime, Israel has intensified its military pressure on Hamas. 

The Israeli army has relocated the 188th Brigade from Lebanon to Jabalia and announced preparations for a large-scale military operation should talks fail. This escalation comes as calls grow louder within Israel to end the war, following the deaths of ten soldiers and dozens of injuries in Gaza over the past week.  

On the Palestinian side, optimism is tempered by caution. The head of the Palestinian Authority's Prisoners and Detainees Affairs Commission expressed hope for progress, revealing that the initial prisoner exchange list includes 1,200 Palestinian detainees. Additional numbers will depend on negotiations for the nine hostages Netanyahu added to the list.  

Among the prisoners to be released are 200 individuals serving life sentences, some of whom may face exile to countries such as Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. The list also includes 48 prisoners who were previously freed in the 2011 Gilad Shalit deal, as well as all female detainees, children, and elderly prisoners.