Negotiations between Israel and Hamas over the release of dozens of Israeli hostages held in Gaza have stalled, according to several people familiar with the matter, dimming hopes of a deal before the start of Ramadan in days.
Negotiators have been discussing a preliminary six-week ceasefire proposal, during which Hamas would release a large number of Palestinian prisoners of about 40 people, including women, elderly and sick hostages, as well as five female Israeli soldiers.
Discussions included the release of at least 15 prisoners convicted of serious acts of terrorism and the exchange of these prisoners for female soldiers. The terms also said Israel would release hundreds of other detainees or prisoners, with an average of 10 Palestinians released for every 10 Israeli civilians released, officials said.
U.S. officials have said they hope to reach a deal to release some hostages and temporarily halt fighting ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin on Sunday. President Biden expressed confidence last week that a deal could be reached.
But in recent days, Hamas backed away from the proposed deal and made demands that Israel refuse to meet, according to officials familiar with the negotiations. Negotiations have been taking place in Doha, Qatar, and moved to Cairo in recent days.
Senior National Security Council official John F. Kirby said Wednesday that while the United States is disappointed that no deal has been reached, negotiators remain confident in the parameters of the deal they helped negotiate.
“It’s just a matter of getting Hamas to sign,” he said.
Mr Kirby said Hamas had been involved in proposals and counter-proposals, working with other parties to develop the framework for an agreement.
“There has been intense back-and-forth on the details, but the fact that we’re not there yet suggests the details haven’t all been hammered out yet,” he said.
An official in the region said the main point of disagreement is the same one that has dogged the talks for weeks: Hamas wants Israel to commit to a permanent ceasefire during or after the three phases of hostage release, while Israel refuses to do so. Israel wants a deal that focuses only on phase one provisions, a position the United States supports. Discussions surrounding the first phase have so far focused on the possible release of 40 of the roughly 100 hostages.
The Israeli delegation did not attend the meeting in Cairo due to new demands from Hamas. Israeli officials said they believed broad consensus had been reached on the first phase of the deal, but Hamas has renewed its broader demands.
In addition to a permanent ceasefire, Hamas is insisting that Israeli forces withdraw from northern Gaza during the third phase of releasing hostages and providing more aid to Gaza, regional officials said.
People with knowledge of the negotiations in Egypt declined to give their names or nationalities, citing the fragility of the negotiations. Hamas officials did not respond to requests for comment.
The United States has been pushing for a deal before Ramadan, fearing the situation could become more problematic during the holy month. U.S. officials say frustration and tempers are likely to intensify by then, making it more difficult to reach a deal.
U.S. officials continue to push for a deal. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in Washington on Tuesday with Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet who may eventually challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the job.
After the meeting, State Department key spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement that Blinken “stressed the importance of reaching an agreement to release Israeli hostages held by Hamas that would lead to a temporary ceasefire and allow for more humanitarian Aid coming to Gaza.”
On the same day, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatar’s most senior negotiator in the hostage talks, spoke in Washington at a previously scheduled meeting on shared strategic concerns. They spoke with Blinken separately at the meeting. Both men told reporters it was important to work to free the hostages and achieve some form of ceasefire.
Qatar and Egypt have been advising Hamas political and military leaders. After Hamas released about 100 hostages, mostly civilians, during a seven-day pause in November, the United States has encountered various obstacles as it attempts to draft broad proposals to restart negotiations.
People familiar with the negotiations believe Hamas made the new demands for a number of reasons.
On February 28, Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas based in Qatar, publicly called for a march on Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque (known to Jews as the Temple Mount) during Ramadan. Some Israeli officials believe Hamas’s military wing wants these protests to turn violent. Hamas may want to avoid a ceasefire for fear of being accused of violating it if protests turn violent.
Hamas believes the action at the mosque will show its strength despite Israel’s months-long military campaign in Gaza and could increase pressure on Netanyahu to end the fighting, according to people briefed on the talks. pressure.
But Hamas may have another reason for making new demands during the negotiations.
Israeli forces opened fire in Gaza last Thursday as crowds gathered near a long line of aid trucks. The scene was chaotic and more than 100 people died.
U.S. officials harshly criticized Israel for its handling of the convoy and its failure to provide security for the desperate Palestinian people.
Some officials with knowledge of the negotiations said Hamas leaders may believe the deaths surrounding the humanitarian convoy strengthened their position in the negotiations and weakened Israel’s international standing.
Adam Rasgon Reporting from Jerusalem.