US officials remain in Doha to continue discussions over a ceasefire deal after CIA Director Bill Burns traveled to the Qatari capital for meetings with Israel’s intelligence chief and fellow mediators Egypt and Qatar, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
CNN previously reported that technical teams remained after Mossad Director David Barnea left Doha on Saturday.
The source also confirmed that the current proposal is for 40 Israeli hostages to be released by Hamas in exchange for around 700 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, dozens of whom have life sentences.
CNN affiliate Channel 11 (Kan News) and CNN analyst Barak Ravid reported the number of those with life sentences could be as high as 100.
Separately, a US official said Monday that progress was made over the weekend and expressed optimism that an agreement will come together.
Aside from the ratio of hostages to prisoners being negotiated, the official said, there are discussions about the ability of Palestinians to move around Gaza once the expected six-week ceasefire starts, about getting more humanitarian aid in, and the location of Israeli troops.
The discussions are tedious and slow, the official added, because Hamas representatives engaging in the talks in Doha and elsewhere then have to send the proposals into Gaza for the head of Hamas there, Yahya Sinwar, to respond.
Sinwar is believed to be hiding in part of Gaza’s extensive tunnel system, US and Israeli officials say.