Although the Israeli delegation has been returned from Qatar and it has been officially announced that negotiations have stopped, contacts continue. According to Ynet, Israeli security services note that military pressure is affecting Hamas, but this is not enough yet. Therefore, the article states that "intensification of military operations is expected."
According to the report, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an emergency meeting with security officials under pressure from US representatives. The American side has asked Israel to postpone the intensification of military actions in Gaza - which will give them more time for negotiations on the exchange of prisoners. In this way, Washington indicates that the channel of direct communication with Hamas is still active, and diplomatic opportunities are not fully exhausted.
Meanwhile, according to Al Mayadeen, the businessman, who was an intermediary between the US and Hamas, presented a new deal proposal. The proposal is a ceasefire for 60 days and the release of 5 living and 5 dead hostages in 2 stages during this period.
It should be noted that, according to the proposals, negotiations on a ceasefire will be held at the time of the ceasefire. Every day, 1,000 humanitarian aid trucks are delivered to the Gaza Strip.
This initiative shows that Washington's hope for resolving the problem through diplomatic channels has not yet faded.
Abdullah Sayyid
