Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved late Saturday that his security cabinet will participate in mediation efforts led by Qatar, Egypt, and the US with regards to Hamas negotiations, sending a team for indirect talks in Doha over proposed amendments for a ceasefire deal which have been rejected as being unacceptable by Hamas militants. Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed his intent of signing on to an agreed framework broker by Qatar, Egypt and US that includes direct talks.
The proposed agreement calls for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, an exchange of hostages (10 living and 18 deceased), and discussions on a permanent solution. Israel has accepted these terms while Hamas reportedly conveyed an initial “positive response,” though with amendments Israel cannot accept (see: Wikipedia; Ft; Independent Co Uk for details)
Israeli officials reported that Hamas proposed modifications late Friday, including:
Israel completed its military withdrawal from Gaza along preexisting ceasefire lines;
Guarantees that temporary truce talks would lead to permanent solutions;
Humanitarian aid delivery via United Nations mechanisms rather than the Israeli-U.S. funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation: [time.com, aljazeera.com and timesofisrael.com) is now the norm (TIME/ALJAZEERA/TIMSOFIL and WashingtonPost respectively).
Netanyahu’s office deemed the proposed modifications unacceptable but confirmed the negotiating team would leave Sunday for Doha to begin proximity talks to secure their hostages under their original plan (i24news.tv/+5; timesofisrael/+5/; FT.com/+5/7).
Pressure from both domestic and U.S. sources
This decision reflects mounting pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Monday. Trump reportedly told Netanyahu he would be very firm, and warned Hamas this deal may be their last chance (The National News/FT/Independent Co Uk).
Hardline coalition members within Israel remain suspicious. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir took to social media, tweeting calls for the complete conquest of Gaza and an end to humanitarian aid, accusing Prime Minister Netanyahu of following a path of surrender (Independent, Telegraph and Aljazeera all have reports).
Humanitarian Reality on the Ground
Despite diplomatic maneuvering, Gaza remains mired in humanitarian crises that escalate daily. Israeli airstrikes continued even as talks were announced; according to Reuters at least 14 Palestinians including children and aid-seekers were killed on Saturday alone (Reuters reports) with violence breaking out at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution site which resulted in two US aid workers being injured (The Guardian/AP News/Reuters).
According to Gaza’s health ministry, over 57,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023 and food, medicine and fuel shortages could turn temporary peace into catastrophe for good. theguardian.com/820328+3 (http://apnews.com/820328 +3) as well as cadenaser.com (8908894010) all feature coverage.
What’s Next
Negotiators are expected to focus on outstanding issues from Doha, such as providing assurances for humanitarian logistics, outlining duration and extent of troop withdrawals, and formalizing U.S. guarantees for transitioning towards long-term peace (FT.com/axios.com +1).
Israelis’ main demand is simple: bring home any remaining hostages–50 are believed to still be held by Gazan forces; approximately 20 may still be alive according to reports on Washingtonpost.com, ft.com and independent.co.uk websites.
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Gazan residents live in an uncertain limbo between temporary ceasefire hopes and the devastating cycle of bombardment and aid blockage.
With high-stakes diplomacy taking place and internal pressures increasing, Doha may hold out hope of shifting this conflict away from escalation into tangible yet fragile solutions.