Gaza truce: A new round of negotiations is threatened by disagreements despite mediators' efforts.

A new round of talks is expected in Doha to discuss a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, amid disagreements, most recently over relief aid, and intensive efforts by mediators to end the deadlock. This anticipation was cut short by a call from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to his US counterpart, Donald Trump, to end the war in Gaza. Experts who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat believe that disagreements will not be absent from any negotiations, regardless of their chances of success, expecting the parties to reach a solution under pressure from mediators, particularly from Washington.

Trucks carrying aid entered the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Monday, the day after Israel declared a "tactical truce" in parts of the Strip and launched an airdrop of aid hours after Hamas rejected the starvation plan.

Khalil al-Hayya, the head of Hamas in Gaza, threatened to suspend participation in the negotiations, saying in a televised address on Sunday that “there is no point in continuing negotiations under siege, genocide, and starvation.” He pointed out that “the immediate and dignified entry of food and medicine to our people is a serious and true expression of the value of continuing negotiations. We will not accept that our people, their suffering, and the blood of their sons be victims of the occupation’s negotiating games and the achievement of its political goals.”

The mediators, Egypt and Qatar, affirmed their "full commitment to continuing negotiations and exerting efforts to quickly reach a comprehensive ceasefire agreement," according to statements made by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani during a phone call, according to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Sunday.

The two mediating countries had previously confirmed in a joint statement on Friday that the "complex" negotiations would continue, and that "the suspension of consultations by (Israel and Washington) before resuming dialogue is a natural thing," shortly after an Egyptian source announced on the Egyptian "Cairo News" channel on Friday that the negotiations would resume this week.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority revealed on Saturday, citing unnamed informed sources, that "the negotiations are still at a standstill, but Qatar and Egypt have intensified their contacts in recent days in an attempt to persuade Hamas to show flexibility in its positions, amid warnings that the continued stalemate could lead to a loss of control over the situation in Gaza."

Informed Palestinian sources revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday that "mediators are working to hold a new round of negotiations regarding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and to reach an agreement on the existing points of contention after many of the items were resolved in the previous round of negotiations." They stressed that if Israel's response is positive, which is what they expected, the agreement will be announced within days after negotiations on the remaining points of contention.

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday the return of their team from Doha, which has been hosting negotiations on Gaza since July 6, for consultations and discussion about studying "alternative options" for the return of the hostages. Witkoff, Trump, and Netanyahu then exchanged criticism of Hamas.

Before Witkoff returned on Sunday to repeating the doses of American optimism that have persisted for nearly a month, particularly from Trump, the US envoy confirmed in an interview with Fox News that negotiations with Hamas had "begun to get back on track." This coincided with Secretary of State Marco Rubio's announcement, in statements to the same channel, that "significant progress" had been made in the negotiations, and that they were "very close" to an agreement.

The Deputy Director General of the Egyptian Center for Thought and Strategic Studies, Major General Mohamed Ibrahim El-Duwairi, expects that "the negotiation rounds will resume within a short period, despite all the negative statements from some parties, without any real objection from any party."

He believes that "the negotiations have resolved many of the contentious points during the Doha negotiations, and only specific points remain, most importantly certain mechanisms for delivering aid and the number and type of Palestinian prisoners to be released."

"It is undeniable that there are disagreements that will cast a shadow over the coming rounds," according to Major General Mohammed Ibrahim al-Duwairi's assessment. He added, "However, the catastrophic situation in Gaza and the current momentum will lead to a resumption of negotiations, with the hope that within ten days we will witness a new truce, which may be the last, after which we may see an end to the war of extermination."

Palestinian political analyst Suhail Diab believes that "Hamas's statement is relevant and carries an important message in light of Israel's attempts to beautify its position by systematically bringing aid into the Strip, which manages the starvation but does not end it." He asserted that "this aid is part of Israeli arrangements that it wants to push through before its certain departure to conclude a deal 'soon.'"

Amid this anticipation and fear of the impact of the disputes, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in a speech broadcast on state television, urged Trump to make every effort to end the war in Gaza and allow aid into the territory. He said, "I believe the time has come to end this war."

Meanwhile, Trump told reporters in Scotland on Monday during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that dealing with Hamas had become difficult in recent days, revealing that he had spoken with Netanyahu about "different plans" for returning the hostages. However, he said that a ceasefire in Gaza was "possible."

For his part, Starmer said he also agreed with Trump on the need for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, noting the need to mobilize other countries to achieve this goal.

Al-Duwairi believes that "President Sisi's call to stop the war will certainly resonate widely with various parties, especially Washington," anticipating that "the US president will quickly and more effectively re-engage the United States in the negotiations." Meanwhile, Suhail Diab believes that there is no alternative but for the parties to reach a truce in the Gaza Strip soon, under pressure from Washington, given the escalating developments there.