Off-Qatar Hasn't Said Anything About Suspension Of Talks On Hostage Deal

Barak Ravid at Axios: "A senior Israeli official said in a briefing with reporters that Qatar hasn’t told Israel anything about the suspension of the negotiations on a hostage deal. “It is an optimistic sign”, the Israeli official said". There had been speculation that the 2 Jan drone strike that killed senior Hamas figure Saleh al-Arouri in the suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut could both inflame regional tensions and end any prospect of a deal between Israel and Hamas that could see a temporary pause in fighting and some form of hostage/prisoner exchange.

• Qatar has been acting as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas alongside Egypt. On 1 Jan, Axios reported that Hamas had sent a new offer to Israel regarding a hostage deal, but that the two sides remained far apart.
• The Netanyahu gov't remains under major pressure domestically to ensure the safe return of the ~140 hostages taken captive by Hamas in the 7 Oct attacks. Should talks break down irrevocably it could seriously endanger the continuation of the current gov't.