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On Wednesday, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied reports that Israel had agreed to a U.S. request for a humanitarian ceasefire to facilitate polio vaccinations in Gaza.

Netanyahu's office stated, "Reports of Israel agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza are incorrect."

It added, "This is not a ceasefire for polio vaccinations, but rather the designation of specific locations in the sector to achieve that purpose."

The office noted that this plan was presented to the cabinet and received professional support.

**U.S. Pressure for Truce**

Israeli media reported on Wednesday that Israel had agreed to a "truce" in Gaza under U.S. pressure to carry out vaccination campaigns for children against polio.

Israel's Channel 13 reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "decided to implement a humanitarian truce in Gaza without informing the ministers."

However, Netanyahu's office clarified that Israel "will not implement a humanitarian ceasefire across all of Gaza, but only in specific locations," adding, "We have designated sites for vaccinating children in Gaza... This is not a truce."

Meanwhile, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing a well-informed source, that negotiators from Egypt, Qatar, the United States, and Israel were meeting in Doha for "technical and working-level" talks regarding a ceasefire in Gaza.

An American official told AFP on Tuesday that talks were ongoing in Doha regarding a ceasefire and the release of detainees in Gaza, noting that they had started days earlier in Cairo.

AFP reported that Brett McGurk, President Joe Biden's Middle East advisor, is in the Qatari capital.

Israeli media reported on Tuesday evening that Israel would send a technical delegation to Doha in an attempt to narrow the gaps on a Gaza ceasefire and detainee exchange agreement.

Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said the Israeli technical delegation comprises the army, Mossad (foreign intelligence agency), and Shin Bet (domestic security agency). The delegation held consultations in Israel upon returning from Cairo.

On Monday, the Israeli technical negotiating delegation returned from Cairo, a day after the heads of Israeli security agencies who participated in the talks there had left.

The Israeli public broadcaster reported on Monday evening that the heads of the security agencies who returned to Israel from the Cairo talks informed the political leadership that the chance of reaching a deal is not high, but communications should be exhausted even if the chances are slim.

Despite mediation efforts led by Egypt and Qatar alongside the United States for months and the proposal of successive agreements to end the war in Gaza and exchange detainees, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to add conditions for accepting the agreement, which Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Mossad chief David Barnea previously warned could obstruct reaching a deal.

Reuters