Ceasefire talks stumble over Israeli demands

Israeli negotiators are insisting that Hamas must surrender its weapons before it agrees to a proposed five-year truce in Gaza, sources told The National. They said Israel’s negotiators were also adamant that it must retain the right to take military action whenever a threat to its security is identified inside Gaza. Hamas has already agreed to lay down, but not surrender, its weapons, under plans tabled by Egyptian and Qatari negotiators. It has also agreed in principle that some of its senior officials would leave Gaza to live in exile.