Jerusalem - Israel had rejected a ceasefire proposal, which was based on a two-stage agreement whereby Israeli hostages would be exchanged for more than 700 Palestinian prisoners before discussions of a permanent ceasefire.
Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, said it was a “ridiculous” proposal based on “unrealistic demands”.
However, Mr Netanyahu said that Israeli officials would travel to Qatar for negotiations.
The ceasefire talks appear to have gone nowhere despite multiple rounds of discussions and American pressure.
