Hostage talks
Hamas Rejects U.S. Hostage Plan; Israel to Provide Amended Plan
As Hamas stalls and public pressure mounts, Israel prepares a revised offer that could determine the fate of remaining hostages and the war's trajectory.
Israel is set to present a new proposal on Sunday to break the deadlock in negotiations with Hamas, following the terror group’s rejection of a U.S.-backed plan on Friday, sources told *Israel Hayom*. The Israeli proposal focuses on three core issues: revised IDF redeployment lines during a ceasefire, arrangements for humanitarian aid delivery and oversight, and a list of terrorists to be released in exchange for hostages. The main sticking point centers on southern Gaza, particularly the Morag and Rafah axes, with Israel offering new lines and a phased withdrawal timeline tied to progress toward a permanent agreement.
A senior Palestinian source added:
"The negotiations in Doha have encountered a deadlock and difficulties due to Israel’s insistence on a map for redeployment rather than withdrawal.
The Israeli map includes maintaining military forces in over 40% of the Gaza Strip’s territory. The withdrawal map is intended to confine hundreds of thousands of displaced people to an area west of Rafah. The Hamas delegation has rejected and will not accept the Israeli maps, as they legitimize the reoccupation of nearly half of the Gaza Strip."
This development takes place during ongoing talks in Doha, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, where Israel’s negotiating team remains in close contact with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. According to Arab sources familiar with the discussions, Hamas’s refusal to accept the U.S. proposal prompted Israel to draft its own. *Israel Hayom* reported that most issues were nearly finalized last Wednesday, but Hamas’s insistence on specific withdrawal terms derailed progress, reopening disputes on other points.
The Israeli proposal addresses aid delivery, including IDF-secured supplies through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and the contentious issue of which terrorists would be released for hostages. A senior Israeli official accused Hamas of inflexibility, stating, “We’ve shown readiness to compromise, Hamas hasn’t.” The official noted that accepting Qatar’s earlier proposal could have led to a 60-day negotiation to end the war in line with Israel’s goals. However, Hamas’s rejection, coupled with what Israel calls a propaganda campaign to mislead Gazans and pressure Israelis, has stalled talks.
Hostage families expressed alarm at the stalled talks, warning that “missing this moment would be a grave failure.” They stressed, “Every day the war continues is a win for Hamas and a serious risk to our hostages and soldiers.” In a direct appeal to Netanyahu, they cited reports that 75% of Israelis now support a deal, adding, “History will judge whether you chose hostages and soldiers or political interests.”