The ongoing negotiations between Hamas and Israel have hit a roadblock after Hamas rejected the latest Israeli counterproposal. A diplomat familiar with the situation stated that Hamas turned down the proposal earlier this week, claiming that it did not address their key demands. According to the diplomat, Hamas sees no need to change their proposal as they believe that the Israeli proposal contains nothing new.
The rejected Israeli proposal did not meet two key demands set by Hamas, which included the unrestricted return of Gazans to the north and the pullback of IDF troops. Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan reiterated that these demands were non-negotiable, and that the latest talks in Egypt did not yield any progress. Israel continued to insist on certain conditions, including allowing inspections of those moving north and preventing the IDF from redeploying away from central Gaza.
Despite previous discussions held in Doha, no clear breakthrough has been reached. The ongoing negotiations between the two parties have focused on a three-phased framework, which includes the release of hostages held by Hamas, a six-week ceasefire, the release of Palestinian prisoners, and increased humanitarian aid into Gaza. CIA Director William Burns, Mossad Director David Barnea, and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar are scheduled to meet in Egypt this weekend to continue ceasefire talks.
