Signs are mounting that Hamas is poised to reject Israel’s latest proposal for a hostage release and Gaza truce deal, as the terror group insists on a permanent ceasefire — a demand that Israel has repeatedly ruled out.
Talks mediated by Qatari, Egyptian, and U.S. officials are ongoing but have yet to show a breakthrough.
Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari confirmed that Hamas had not responded to the mediators’ efforts.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar stated that Hamas would not agree to disarm as part of any deal and insisted on a permanent ceasefire.
The negotiations began when CIA director William Burns met with senior officials from Qatar and Egypt in Doha to discuss a proposal endorsed by U.S. President Joe Biden.
The talks aim to address Hamas’s demand for a complete cessation of hostilities in Gaza and a full Israeli withdrawal, but Israel has refused to guarantee such terms.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri expressed conditional support for Biden’s ideas but criticized a U.S. draft resolution for not addressing an end to the aggression or a withdrawal. He reaffirmed Hamas’s May 5 proposal, which Israel swiftly rejected, as it would allow the terror group to retain control of Gaza.
Hamas distributed a document rejecting Israel’s latest proposal, claiming it fundamentally differed from Biden’s outline and did not guarantee a permanent ceasefire. Hamas insists that any agreement must explicitly stipulate a permanent end to hostilities.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has emphasized that any hostage deal must allow Israel to achieve its war aims, including toppling Hamas. On Wednesday, the war cabinet discussed the deal but delayed sending negotiators to Doha pending Hamas’s response.
Hamas’s leader in Beirut, Osama Hamdan, claimed the group had not received any documented proposal based on Biden’s speech, while Netanyahu has cancelled scheduled war cabinet meetings without explanation.
Despite pressure from international leaders and ongoing mediation efforts, the deadlock persists as Hamas remains unwilling to concede.
