Israel-Hamas hostage deal: Qatar PM says 'minor' challenges remain

A deal to free hostages Hamas seized in its October 7 attack on Israel now hinges on "minor" practical issues, Qatar's prime minister said Sunday, without giving details or a timeline.

"The challenges that remain in the negotiations are very minor compared to the bigger challenges, they are more logistical, they are more practical," Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told a joint press conference with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

Qatar has helped broker talks aiming to free some of the 240 hostages in return for a temporary ceasefire, a mediation effort that has so far led to the release of four hostages.

"The deal is going through ups and downs from time to time throughout the last few weeks," the premier said.

"I think that I'm now more confident that we are close enough to reach a deal that can bring the people safely back to their homes."

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas in response to the October 7 attacks, which Israeli officials say killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and saw the 240 hostages taken.

The army's relentless air and ground campaign has since killed 12,300 people, more than 5,000 of them children, according to the Hamas government which has ruled Gaza since 2007.

The United States said on Saturday that it was still working to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas after the Washington Post reported there was a tentative agreement to free women and children held hostage in Gaza in exchange for a pause in fighting.

Citing unnamed sources, the newspaper said all parties would halt combat operations for at least five days while some hostages were to be released in batches.

• Hamas says more than 80 dead in Israeli strikes on Gaza camp