Gaza ceasefire talks on verge of collapse, Palestinian officials say5 hours ago Share Save Rushdi Abualouf Gaza correspondent Reporting from Cairo Share SaveReuters Gaza has been devastated by 21 months of war between Israel and HamasNegotiations between Israel and Hamas in Qatar on a new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal are on the brink of collapse, according to Palestinian officials familiar with the details of the discussions. Since last Sunday, Israeli and Hamas negotiators have attended eight rounds of indirect "proximity" talks in separate buildings in Doha. But on Friday night, Palestinian officials familiar with the negotiations told the BBC they were on the verge of collapse, with the two sides deeply divided on several contentious issues. Hamas officials saw the map as a bad-faith manoeuvre by Israel, further eroding trust between the sides. Palestinian officials accused the Israeli delegation of deliberately stalling to create a positive diplomatic backdrop for the Israeli prime minister's recent visit to Washington.