Israeli political sources denied on Sunday that any "substantial progress" had been made in indirect talks with Hamas regarding a prisoner exchange deal, despite statements by US President Donald Trump that sparked cautious optimism, according to Israel's Channel 12 on Sunday.
Following his attack on the trial of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges, and his demand to grant pardon to a "great hero who did so much for Israel," as he put it, Trump called on Sunday for an agreement to end the war on Gaza. "Make the deal, bring back the hostages," he said in a post on Truth Social.
Netanyahu is holding a meeting of his security and political cabinet on Sunday to discuss the prisoner exchange negotiations and the situation in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer is preparing to travel to Washington for talks with White House officials on the future of the war on Gaza and the possibility of reaching a deal.
Israeli sources said that "the negotiations are still in the indirect communications phase, through ongoing talks between Israel, Qatar, and Egypt, alongside the efforts of US envoy Steve Witkoff."
She added that "Hamas has not yet submitted an official response to the Israeli proposal amended in accordance with Witkoff's initiative," noting that mediators are seeking to bring the two parties together, perhaps in Doha or Cairo, in "one hotel," so that "the negotiations can be conducted from one room to another."
According to the channel, Israel confirmed that it "will not send a negotiating delegation unless it receives a clear signal from Hamas that it is serious," in order to "avoid spreading false hopes among the prisoners' families."
Trump's statement, "I think we're close to an agreement in Gaza. I've spoken with some of the people involved, and I think we'll succeed in reaching a ceasefire within the next week," surprised political figures in Jerusalem.
According to Channel 12, "Israel was quick to clarify that no breakthroughs had been recorded in the talks, no new drafts had been passed, and no amendments had been made to the proposed initiative," considering what Trump said "an expression of personal desire and not based on solid intelligence information."
Israeli estimates indicate that there are two major obstacles hindering the agreement: the first relates to Hamas's strategy of "holding prisoners until the last moment," as Israel believes the movement views the prisoners as "its remaining central negotiating card."
The second obstacle concerns Israel's rejection of a proposed deal "that includes the release of all prisoners in exchange for a ceasefire, even as Hamas remains weak in the Gaza Strip."
The currently circulating initiative, according to the Israeli formulation, is based on two stages: In the first, "ten living prisoners and 15 bodies will be released in exchange for a 60-day truce." If an agreement is reached to end the war, "an additional batch of ten living prisoners and 15 bodies will be released."
The central dispute concerns the future of Gaza, with Israel demanding "the complete disarmament of Hamas, the surrender of the movement, and the exile of its leaders," while Hamas insists on "a cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Strip in exchange for the release of prisoners."
According to the channel, the US administration is working on a compromise formula whereby "Hamas remains only a marginal player, which could allow Israel to accept partial control over some areas, such as the Philadelphi Corridor and the security perimeter of the Gaza Strip."
شارك برأيك
Israel denies progress in Gaza negotiations despite Trump's statements