By Janet Ekstract, NEW YORK – “Cautious optimism” is a term officials involved in the latest Gaza ceasefire deal used to describe the current ‘wait and see’ situation. The Times of Israel reported that an Israeli negotiating team traveled to Qatar on July 6 for indirect talks with Hamas on a hostage release and ceasefire deal. Mediators on both sides have intensified efforts to reach an agreement while Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office commented that Hamas had offered “unacceptable” amendments to the U.S. and Israeli-backed proposal. Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington D.C. on July 7 and sent the negotiating team prior to his departure for the U.S.
Meanwhile, the families of hostages in Israel are demanding a comprehensive deal where all living hostages are released immediately not in stages as the proposed deal calls for. According to the Times of Israel, Trump and Netanyahu have no photo opportunities or press conferences scheduled during Netanyahu’s visit, which ends on Thursday. U.S. Special Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff who has been working closely with Qatari and Egyptian mediators told the press that Trump’s goal is to press Netanyahu for a deal and told Axios last week that he plans to be “very firm” with the Israeli leader about ending the war in Gaza and bringing the hostages back.
The proposed agreement which is based on leaks to the press, includes a proposal put forth by Qatar after a previous draft revision and adopted by Trump that was negotiated over a two-month period under Witkoff’s leadership. The proposed agreement purportedly includes a 60-day ceasefire with the release of eight living Israeli captives on the first day of the truce and releasing two additional living Israeli captives on day 50. The return of the bodies of 18 Israeli captives in three stages along with the release of some Palestinian prisoners and Israel’s withdrawal from the Morag corridor. Also included would be a boost in the pace of humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza by Israeli forces with negotiations aiming for a total end to the war and a roadmap for governing Gaza. Israel has indicated its preference for local Palestinian leaders unaffiliated with Hamas or the Palestinian Authority to be governing Gaza under the oversight of Arab nations including Egypt, Jordan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Though Hamas has generally viewed the proposal as positive, the sticking point is Israeli officials insisting on keeping their military flexibility and their refusal to guarantee the ceasefire would lead to a permanent cessation of hostilities. While a senior Israeli source told the media: “Hamas wants certainty that the war will end, they won’t get that,” adding, “But we’re willing to be flexible up to the point of giving this certainty.”
