Arab and American mediators on Monday sought an agreement to halt fighting in the Gaza Strip and release hostages held by Hamas before President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office on January 20. High-level ceasefire negotiations appeared to be gaining momentum.
It remains unclear whether the parties have reached a resolution to the central dispute that has proven insurmountable in previous negotiations, but officials briefed on the talks have expressed caution in recent days about the possibility of a deal. However, he remains optimistic.
After months of on-again, off-again talks, hopes were dashed days later with both Israel and Hamas blaming the other for the impasse.
If a deal is reached, the Palestinians in Gaza, who have endured dire conditions in concentration camps and relentless Israeli shelling, and the hostages taken from Israel, who have agonized over their fate for months. It will bring some respite to his family. Loved ones.
Who are the players?
The lead mediators in the talks are Qatar and Egypt, which exchange messages between Israel and Hamas. Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Egypt’s General Intelligence Directorate General Hassan Rashad are the top officials representing both countries in the negotiations.
David Balnea, head of Israel’s foreign intelligence agency Mossad, is one of Israel’s key negotiators, along with Ronen Barr, head of the internal security agency Shin Bet, and Major General Nizan Alon of the Israeli army. Ofir Falk, foreign policy advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is also participating in important meetings related to the negotiations.
Khalil al-Haya, a senior Hamas official based in Doha, is the extremist group’s chief negotiator and has been in contact with Qatari and Egyptian officials about details of a potential deal.
The United States has used its influence to encourage Israel and Hamas to sign the agreement. CIA Director Bill Burns and White House official Brett McGuirk traveled to the Middle East to press for a breakthrough in talks. Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, also visited Qatar and Israel and met with local government officials.
What are they negotiating?
Israeli authorities want to secure the release of at least some of the approximately 100 hostages held in Gaza since the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. This attack sparked the ensuing war in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas leaders want an end to the war in Gaza, which has greatly weakened the group’s armed forces and government, displaced nearly 2 million people and reduced cities to rubble. Hamas officials also said they are calling for Israel’s complete withdrawal from Gaza, the return of displaced people from the southern part of the enclave to the north, and the entry of supplies for reconstruction.
What are the biggest obstacles?
A major obstacle to the success of the talks is the durability of the ceasefire. Hamas has called for a comprehensive end to the war, but Netanyahu has said he wants a “partial” deal that would allow Israel to resume the war after the hostages are released.
Two Palestinian and Israeli officials familiar with the matter said Israel wanted ambiguous language in the agreement that would leave room for fighting to resume at some point. Analysts say Netanyahu fears that if he agrees to a deal to end the war in Gaza, his right-wing coalition partners could overthrow his government and jeopardize his political future.
Hamas has given no indication that it will compromise on its demands for an end to the war. Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, told a rally in Algeria last week that an “absolute end to the aggression” was needed.
