Gaza ceasefire talks on the brink of failure

2025-07-12 09:38:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Qatar over a new ceasefire in Gaza and a deal to release hostages are on the verge of failure, according to Palestinian officials familiar with the details of the discussions.

A senior official told the BBC that Israel had "bought time" during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington this week and had deliberately blocked the process by sending a delegation to Doha with no real authority to make decisions on the main points of disagreement.

They include the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the distribution of humanitarian aid.

Before leaving the US on Thursday, Netanyahu had maintained a positive tone, saying he hoped to reach a deal "within a few days."

He said the proposed deal would see Hamas release half of the 20 living hostages it still holds and just over half of the 30 dead hostages during a ceasefire that would last 60 days.

Since last Sunday, Israeli and Hamas negotiators have participated in eight rounds of "close" indirect talks in separate buildings in Doha.

They were facilitated by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani and senior Egyptian intelligence officials, and were also attended by US envoy Brett McGurk.

The mediators have conveyed dozens of verbal and written messages between the Hamas delegation and the Israeli delegation, which has included military, security and political officials.

But on Friday evening, Palestinian officials familiar with the negotiations told the BBC that they were on the verge of failure, with both sides deeply divided on several contentious issues.

They said the most recent discussions had focused on two of these issues: the mechanism for providing humanitarian aid to Gaza and the extent of the Israeli military withdrawal.

Hamas has insisted that humanitarian aid should enter Gaza and be distributed through United Nations agencies and international aid organizations.

Israel, on the other hand, is pushing ahead with aid distribution through the controversial Israeli-US-backed mechanism run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

According to mediators involved in the process, there has been some limited progress in bridging the divide on this issue. However, no formal agreement has been reached.

The second major point of disagreement is the extent of the Israeli withdrawal.

During the fifth round of talks, Israeli negotiators reportedly handed the mediators a written message stating that Israel would maintain a limited "buffer zone" inside Gaza that was between 1 km and 1.5 km (0.6-0.9 miles) deep.

Hamas, according to a Palestinian official who participated in at least two of the rounds of talks, saw this proposal as a possible starting point for compromise.

However, when Hamas requested and received a map depicting Israel's proposed withdrawal zones, the document contradicted the previous message, showing military positions much deeper. The map reportedly showed buffer zones that were up to 3 km (1.8 miles) deep in certain areas and confirmed a continued Israeli presence over large areas of territory.

They covered the entire southern city of Rafah, 85% of the village of Khuzaa east of Khan Younis, significant parts of the northern cities of Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun, and eastern neighborhoods of Gaza City, such as Tuffah, Shejaiya, and Zeitoun.

Hamas officials saw the map as a dishonest maneuver by Israel, further damaging trust between the parties.

Palestinian officials accused the Israeli delegation of deliberate delay to create a positive diplomatic backdrop for the Israeli prime minister's recent visit to Washington./ CNA