Israeli officials in Doha for talks on Gaza ceasefire, hostage deal: source to AFP

Israeli officials arrived in Doha, Qatar, on Monday for talks aimed at a Gaza ceasefire and a hostage-prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, a source with knowledge of the talks told AFP.

"An Israeli technical team is in Doha to discuss the ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza," the source said, on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks,

"This is between Israeli and Qatari working-level teams," the source said, indicating discussions were aimed a bridging gaps between the parties.

The meetings follow a trip by David Barnea, who heads Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, to Doha on Wednesday, the source said, though there was no indication Barnea was present at the current meetings.

Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, has been involved in months of behind-the-scenes negotiations for a Gaza truce and hostage release.

But apart from a one-week pause in fighting late last year, during which scores of Hamas-held hostages were released in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails, successive negotiations have failed to halt the war.