Report: Pressure from brokers on Israel and Hamas to resume negotiations before the occupation of Gaza

SadaNews - The United States, Qatar, and Egypt are exerting pressure on Israel and Hamas to return to the negotiating table to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and conclude a prisoner exchange deal.

The Israeli broadcasting authority "Kan 11" reported that the mediators are pushing for the resumption of negotiations between Israel and Hamas before commencing the plan to occupy the city of Gaza, which was approved by the cabinet during its meeting on Thursday night to Friday.

Sources familiar with the negotiations indicated that the mediators believe that a deal could be pushed that might avert the occupation of the city of Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel has informed Washington that it can halt the operation in favor of striking a deal, even if it has started the implementation.

An Israeli official stated, "The door is not closed to the possibility of reaching an agreement, and this is possible despite the opposition of some ministers in the cabinet."

Channel 12 reported an Israeli official saying, "We do not rule out returning to negotiate a partial deal within the framework of the proposal by Yetikoff. Significant efforts are currently being made by the mediators," indicating that Tel Aviv is indeed receiving messages from mediators indicating the possibility of Hamas returning to the negotiating table.

He claimed that "with the flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, Hamas's campaign of starvation is receding. They realize they have shot themselves in the foot by releasing videos showing the prisoners suffering from hunger, which is why the possibility of their returning to negotiations can't be ruled out. Mediators are already observing positive signals in this regard."

In this context, the U.S. envoy to the Middle East, Steve Yetikoff, met with the Qatari Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, to discuss advancing a proposal for the release of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza all at once.

The American site "Axios" reported, citing Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, what he said during the cabinet session before the approval of the plan to occupy the city of Gaza and expand the war on the sector, that the Trump administration will present a proposal to end the war in the coming weeks.

An Israeli official involved in the negotiations told "Axios" that "there is no problem in reaching a plan between Israel and the United States to end the war, but this plan will not be acceptable to Hamas, and thus it will be futile."

He added that "the gap between Israel and Hamas regarding ending the war is huge, and therefore discussing a comprehensive deal may be meaningless at this stage."