Israeli estimates: A deal with Hamas is possible this week.

Negotiations between Israel and Hamas regarding a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal continue in the Qatari capital, Doha, amid what Israeli political sources describe as "increasing concessions" from Tel Aviv in recent days.

Despite these sources' reservations about Hamas's "firm" position in the negotiations conducted through mediators in the Qatari capital, they estimated that an agreement is closer than it was in the past two weeks, according to Israel's Channel 12 on Sunday.

An Israeli political source involved in the negotiations said, "Hamas continues to stall in a way that casts doubt on its seriousness in reaching an agreement." However, he added, "The talks are progressing slowly, but they are making progress," suggesting that a deal could be completed this week.

In a meeting this week with prisoners' families, an Israeli official said, "The trend is positive. We have overcome a fundamental obstacle and are moving forward with the hope of achieving a breakthrough." He added, "The negotiations are very intense, and if Hamas does not create new obstacles, (US envoy Steve) Witkoff may travel to Doha in the coming days."

The same official claimed, "Over the past two weeks, we were on the verge of signing an agreement within 24 hours four times, but Hamas backed down each time."

Other Israeli officials also noted progress, but stressed that difficulties remained. They said, "There are no plans yet to send an official delegation including Minister Ron Dermer to Doha, but that could change."

Regarding US President Donald Trump's statements about a deal being reached, Israeli officials explained that they "have not seen any real progress so far, and there are still outstanding issues, including mechanisms for prisoner releases and the distribution of humanitarian aid."

Meanwhile, Israeli cities witnessed a series of anti-government demonstrations on Saturday, demanding the completion of the prisoner exchange deal as soon as possible. Hundreds of protesters gathered in "Prisoners' Square" in Tel Aviv before marching toward the US embassy, calling for "accelerating the completion of the agreement."

On Saturday, an informed Palestinian source revealed that Hamas received updated maps from mediators showing the areas where the Israeli army is deployed within the Gaza Strip. These maps include most of Beit Hanoun in the north, half of Rafah, the towns of Khuza'a and Abasan in the south, and large parts of the Shuja'iyya neighborhood.

He explained that the movement has begun studying the proposal within its leadership frameworks and is holding consultations with Palestinian factions, while adhering to the withdrawal limits stipulated in the January 2025 understandings.

Despite Hamas's insistence on rejecting any map that establishes a "fait accompli" for the occupation, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted Israeli sources as saying there was "cautious optimism" about the possibility of reaching an agreement within two weeks, noting that some gaps had been narrowed, particularly regarding the number of Palestinian prisoners who might be released.

In contrast, government sources, via the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (Kan 11), accused Hamas of not responding, despite what they described as "Israeli flexibility."

In turn, an Arab diplomat from one of the mediating countries told the same channel that the gaps regarding the Israeli military deployment map had narrowed, and that what remained were "just limited obstacles." He considered the recent meeting between Trump and the Prime Minister of Qatar "important for progress," and that Washington was "satisfied with the developments."