Negotiations over a potential hostage deal between Israel and Hamas have stalled again, according to two individuals with direct knowledge of the talks. Their comments follow recent signals of cautious hope from mediators, who believed Hamas might be softening its stance toward the proposal brought forward by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.
During a meeting in Washington last week with families of hostages, Witkoff expressed confidence that a significant breakthrough could be achieved ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which began on Friday, a person present at the meeting reported. Yet even if that optimism had translated into an agreement, further indirect talks would have been required to iron out remaining issues, including the scope and timeline of Israel’s proposed military pullback.
An Arab official involved in the mediation effort said that Hamas is refusing to proceed unless the proposal includes more explicit guarantees that Israel will not resume military operations if a permanent ceasefire is not finalized within the 60-day timeframe outlined in Witkoff’s plan for a truce and phased hostage release.
Witkoff’s proposal currently allows Israel to restart military action if negotiations on a permanent truce fail after two months. The U.S. envoy has reportedly pushed mediators to pressure Hamas to accept this flexibility, promising that Washington would ensure the transition from temporary to permanent ceasefire once a deal is underway, the Arab official explained.
But Hamas remains skeptical, citing Israel’s decision to resume combat operations in March despite prior agreements that included a commitment to negotiate a permanent ceasefire following a truce in January, the Arab official continued.
The same official criticized the U.S. for deferring too much to Israel’s refusal to agree to an initial temporary ceasefire, arguing that American officials should apply more forceful pressure on the Israeli government to adjust its position.
“If Israel agreed to a permanent ceasefire, [it] could get all of the hostages back at once,” the Arab official said. “Instead [it’s] trying to fight until the last Hamas fighter, and this will never end.”
When asked whether Hamas should also face increased pressure, the official maintained that mediators have been actively engaging the group, which has already indicated willingness to accept a temporary arrangement. However, he acknowledged that the language Hamas is demanding would effectively turn any temporary truce into a long-term one by making it difficult for Israel to resume fighting.
Despite the impasse, a second person familiar with the situation confirmed that mediators are still trying to persuade Hamas to revise its response to Witkoff’s plan, which the envoy dismissed as “unacceptable” when first received late last month.
Witkoff has continued to call on Hamas to accept the framework he proposed, so the parties can begin proximity talks to resolve final disagreements.
If Hamas shows sufficient signs of movement toward compromise, Witkoff might travel to the region to help seal the agreement, the second source said. However, mediators are reluctant to green-light the trip unless they believe the chances of concluding a deal are strong.
{Matzav.com}