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Cairo/Jerusalem – Despite a new round of talks in the Egyptian capital, the parties failed to achieve a breakthrough on the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of Israeli hostages. This was reported by The Jerusalem Post, citing sources among Arab, Palestinian and Egyptian mediators.
Hamas has agreed to release nine Israelis held in the Gaza Strip amid mounting international pressure. In return, Israel demands the immediate release of at least ten people, Security Minister Ze’ev Elkin said on Monday on army radio.
Hamas’ demand: an end to the war
The main obstacle in the negotiations remains Hamas’ tough position: any agreement must include a gradual or complete cessation of hostilities in Gaza. Israel, in turn, claims that it is impossible to end the war until Hamas’s military infrastructure is completely dismantled.
The terrorist organisation officially rejects any proposals for disarmament. At the same time, according to Reuters sources, the Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayyah is showing cautious flexibility on the issue of the exchange format – in particular, the number of hostages that could be released under a temporary truce in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.
The Egyptian mediator also confirmed that the group needs more time to respond to the latest Israeli proposal. At the same time, Hamas insists on international guarantees of the second stage of negotiations, which should directly relate to ending the war.
First phase: in place, second phase: hanging
In the first phase of the agreement, which lasted six weeks and ended in February, Israel released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and Hamas released 33 Israeli hostages. The second phase, which was supposed to start in early March, envisaged a large-scale cessation of hostilities, but has not yet begun.
Sisi and the Emir of Qatar discuss guarantees
On Sunday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the key mediators in the negotiations, met in Doha. According to Egyptian sources, Sisi called for additional international guarantees of security and implementation of the agreements, in addition to those already provided by Egypt and Qatar.
US position
US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed support for Israel in resuming its military campaign, last week announced “some progress” in the release of hostages. He also called on the civilian population of Gaza to leave the war zone, which drew criticism from human rights organisations.
For now, the negotiations remain blocked. Neither side is ready to give up its principled positions: Israel insists on a complete victory over Hamas, while Hamas demands an end to the war as a precondition for a large-scale exchange. In these circumstances, even the limited release of nine hostages looks like a fragile compromise that may not hold without the political will of both sides and clear guarantees from the international community.
