The Israeli government has said that the changes the Hamas terrorist group has requested in the latest ceasefire proposal in Gaza are “unacceptable to Israel.” Despite this, the country will send a negotiating team to Qatar on Sunday to continue talks toward a possible agreement.
In a statement sent by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, it is stated that the"unacceptable" changes proposed by Hamas were delivered to Israel on Friday night and that, after assessing the situation, the premier instructed the negotiating team to continue the talks.
These talks, the brief note says, will be based on the Qatari truce proposal"accepted by Israel."
This statement marks Netanyahu's first formal statement on the current negotiations since US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had given the green light to a proposed 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and expressed hope that Hamas would also agree to the agreement.
The terrorist group's response came this Saturday. In a public statement, the Islamist organization claimed to have given a"positive" response to the mediators, expressing its willingness to begin negotiations"immediately" for the implementation of the ceasefire. Israeli media, citing internal Hamas sources, explained that among the modifications demanded by the armed group was the elimination of the humanitarian aid distribution mechanism entrusted to the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF, US-based). According to these sources, Hamas would demand that the United Nations (UN) be given sole responsibility for delivering supplies to the Gaza Strip's population.
The diplomatic agenda surrounding the crisis includes Netanyahu's imminent visit to Washington, D.C., where he is expected to meet with Trump at the White House next week. According to sources familiar with the talks, the meeting could coincide with the announcement of a ceasefire if negotiations in Qatar progress and overcome the final obstacles.
The current proposal would include explicit guarantees to avoid a resumption of hostilities during the negotiations, which would begin during an initial 60-day truce. During that period, both sides would negotiate a"permanent ceasefire and a complete and gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza."
Broadly speaking, the proposal under discussion calls for a 60-day cessation of hostilities, during which time Hamas would agree to release half of the estimated ten Israeli hostages still alive in the Gaza Strip and would also hand over the bodies of approximately 30 slain hostages. In return, Israel would release a significant number of Palestinian prisoners currently held in Israeli jails.
The core of the proposal refers to a diplomatic plan presented months ago by the US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. This initiative has had Israeli support from the outset, but Hamas has repeatedly rejected it because it does not contemplate the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave or the end of the military offensive.
Responsibility for the distribution of humanitarian aid remains a critical point on the negotiating agenda. Hamas expressed its rejection of the current mechanism, managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Fund, and requested that the UN resume administration of the aid, in an attempt to confer greater legitimacy and neutrality on the distribution of basic supplies in the Gaza Strip. This demand is one of several modifications Hamas has put on the table, which Israel has thus far deemed unacceptable.
Regarding the release of hostages and prisoners, the sequence envisioned by the mediators would include the phased release of Israeli captives in several stages, in exchange for the progressive release of Palestinian prisoners. Although the exact figures have not been confirmed by the parties, it is estimated that they could involve one of the largest hostage-for-prisoner exchange operations in recent years.
The negotiation process is being overseen by Qatar, in collaboration with the United States and the UN, which are acting as active mediators to facilitate an agreement that will reduce the intensity of hostilities and open the way for negotiations toward a more lasting political solution.
The negotiations in Doha and the deliberations in Washington next week will determine the immediate course of the war in Gaza. Regional mediators and international organizations are closely monitoring every move, while the parties remain strained between the urgency of a ceasefire and deep differences over the terms of the agreement and the future of the Palestinian territory.
