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An Israeli delegation is set to travel to Qatar on Monday to continue negotiations on a potential second phase of the hostage deal and a cease-fire with Hamas. The talks are being mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt.
Hamas claimed that it has shown “flexibility” in discussions and is now waiting for the mediation efforts to yield results with Israel. “The talks focused on ending the war, Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, and reconstruction efforts,” Hamas said in a statement.
According to reports, Adam Boehler, President Donald Trump’s envoy for hostage negotiations, has been involved in discussions with Hamas. The terror group reportedly proposed a long-term cease-fire of at least 10 years, which would also apply to the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Hamas expressed willingness to discuss limiting its offensive weapons and rocket arsenal in exchange for an IDF withdrawal from Gaza, an end to the war, and the release of all hostages, starting with those who hold American citizenship, one of them being Edan Alexander.
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A Palestinian source told Sky News Arabic that Egypt has insisted on including discussions about disarming Hamas as a condition for establishing a governing committee in Gaza, aiming to prevent Israeli objections to postwar reconstruction efforts.
Hostage families call for ‘full mandate’ for negotiators
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to grant the Israeli delegation “full authority to secure the return of all 59 hostages in a single phase.”
Meanwhile, Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanou accused Israel of seeking to tighten its blockade on Gaza, restrict humanitarian aid, and push Palestinians to leave the enclave. He warned that Israeli military actions and the continued power outage in Gaza threaten the hostages, who, he said, “will only be released through negotiations.”
Egyptian intelligence chief Diaa Rashwan said in an interview with Al-Rad that the ongoing U.S.-led mediation suggests that “there is no clear winner in this war.” He added that Netanyahu “will not resume the war without Trump’s backing” and that direct engagement between Washington and Hamas signals that the group will play a role in Gaza’s future governance.