High-level ceasefire talks appeared to gain momentum on Monday as Arab and US mediators pressed for an agreement to end fighting in Gaza and free hostages held by Hamas before President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office on the 20th. January.
It is still unclear whether the sides have reached a resolution on central disputes that have proved insurmountable in previous rounds of talks, but officials briefed on the talks have expressed cautious optimism in recent days about the possibility of a deal.
For months, repeated rounds of talks raised hopes that they would be dashed days later, with both Israel and Hamas blaming each other for the impasse.
If a deal is reached, it would bring respite to Palestinians in Gaza, who have endured squalid conditions in displacement camps and relentless Israeli bombing, and to the families of hostages taken from Israel, who have suffered for months wondering about the fate of their loved ones.
Who are the players?
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The main mediators in the talks are Qatar and Egypt, which relay messages between Israel and Hamas. Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, and Egypt’s Director of General Intelligence, Major General Hassan Rashad, were the top officials representing their countries in the talks.
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David Barnea, the head of Israel’s foreign intelligence service, the Mossad, is one of Israel’s chief negotiators, along with Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet domestic security service, and Major General Nitzan Alon of the Israeli army. Ophir Falk, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s foreign policy adviser, also participated in important meetings related to the negotiations.
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Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official based in Doha, is the militant group’s chief negotiator and has held talks with Qatari and Egyptian officials about the details of a possible deal.
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The United States used its power to push Israel and Hamas to sign the agreement. Bill Burns, the director of the CIA, and Brett McGurk, a senior White House official, toured the Middle East seeking progress in the negotiations. Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump’s Middle East envoy, also traveled to Qatar and Israel, meeting with top officials there.
What are they negotiating about?
Israeli officials hope to secure the release of at least some of the approximately 100 hostages held in Gaza since a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, that ignited the ensuing war in the territory.
Hamas leaders want to end the war in Gaza, which has severely weakened the group’s armed wing and government, displaced nearly two million people and reduced cities to rubble. Hamas officials also said they were demanding a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the return of displaced people from the south of the enclave to the north and the bringing in of reconstruction materials.
What are the biggest obstacles?
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The main obstacle to the success of the negotiations was the durability of the ceasefire. While Hamas demanded a comprehensive end to the war, Mr. Netanyahu said he wanted a “partial” deal that would allow Israel to continue the war after the hostages were released.
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Israel demanded vague language in the text of the agreement that leaves room for continued fighting at some point, according to a Palestinian familiar with the matter and two Israeli officials. Mr Netanyahu feared his right-wing coalition partners could topple his government and threaten his political future if he agreed to a deal to end the war in Gaza, analysts said.
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Hamas has not suggested it would be willing to compromise on its demand to end the war. Last week, Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, told a rally in Algeria that there must be an “absolute end to aggression.”
