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On Wednesday, 26 March 2025, Egyptian sources reported the failure of all Cairo’s proposals to promote an exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas, blaming the United States. According to the Qatari edition of Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed, citing anonymous Egyptian officials, Washington refused to provide guarantees of pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which effectively blocked Egypt’s initiatives. This was reported by Vesty.
“The US administration has renounced any commitment to put pressure on Israel. Cairo proposed a humanitarian pause during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, but the US envoy rejected the idea,” the sources said. They also warned against “attempts to embarrass Cairo over the Israeli plan to forcibly evict Gazans”.
According to Ynet, hundreds of Gazans have been voluntarily leaving the enclave every week in recent months. Israeli sources estimate that more than 35,000 Palestinians have emigrated to third countries since the start of the war. Tomorrow, 27 March, more than 200 Palestinian patients and their companions are scheduled to fly to the United Arab Emirates via Ramon Airport in Eilat, and hundreds more will follow in the coming weeks.
Almost a month has passed since the first stage of the exchange agreement was completed, after which the negotiations reached a deadlock and hostilities in the Gaza Strip resumed. The US side believes that the resumption of the war is justified due to Hamas’s refusal to comply with the agreement, but stresses that the operation should be “as accurate, effective and time-limited as possible”. “We don’t have eternity to spare,” said one American source.
Interlocutors who have spoken to US representatives emphasise that Israel maintains Washington’s support for the continuation of hostilities, but that this support has its limits. The military operation during the negotiations complicates the process, but, according to the source, “there is no point in dragging everyone into a fruitless round”. The Americans call on the Israeli political leadership to realise that its “credibility is limited”.
One of the US officials added that US President Donald Trump is determined to complete the Saudi deal and “will not allow Israel to derail it”. “Time is running out,” he stressed, criticising the statements of Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrych: “They don’t understand geopolitics and they don’t understand their place.” The US also hopes that once the budget is approved in Israel, Netanyahu, freed from domestic political pressure, will be able to promote the deal more actively. The day before, the prime minister’s entourage denied any connection between the budget and the hostage issue, saying that Israel continues to work on the plan of Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Against the backdrop of the negotiating deadlock, Cairo is expressing concern about the possible forced eviction of Palestinians, while the US insists on the effectiveness of operations, recognising that its support for Israel is not indefinite. The situation remains tense and the prospects for a deal are uncertain.
