Trump and Netanyahu are scheduled to meet in Washington on Monday where the developments in the negotiations will top the agenda.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is sending his negotiators to Qatar on Sunday after receiving Hamas’s response to the mediators’ latest proposal over a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of captives.
“Netanyahu has directed that the invitation to proximity talks be accepted and that the contacts for the return of our hostages – on the basis of the Qatari proposal that Israel has agreed to – be continued,” the Israeli prime minister’s office said midnight on Sunday.
“The negotiating team will leave tomorrow (Sunday) for the talks in Qatar,” the statement added.
Qatar, along with mediators Egypt and the United States, reportedly presented a proposal for a 60-day ceasefire last week amid efforts to reach a new deal between Hamas and Israel.
On Saturday, Hamas said its response was “formulated unanimously and in a positive spirit” while reiterating its support for efforts aimed at ending the genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu’s office then said the changes Hamas submitted were “unacceptable to Israel” without elaborating on the matter.
Hamas has repeatedly sought guarantees from Israel over completely halting the genocidal war in the Gaza Strip and withdrawing from the territory.
Netanyahu repeatedly rejected Hamas’s demands under his insistence on continuing the war under the pretext of destroying the group’s capabilities—a goal that Israel has not achieved nearly two years since launching the brutal war.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 61,700 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, although the figure is an estimate given that thousands are still trapped under the rubble.
Israel has mainly targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure over the past 21 months while blocking the entry of aid into the besieged enclave.
The mediators had reached a three-phase ceasefire deal on January 15, which Israel broke on March 18, obstructing efforts to proceed to the second phase.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of not adhering to the deal by not releasing all captives, despite the Palestinian group committing to the release of 33 Israeli captives and five Thai nationals during the ceasefire’s first phase.
Several rounds of negotiations took place, but were not able to break the stalemate especially with Netanyahu not granting his negotiators the authority to proceed with an agreement despite domestic pressure in Tel Aviv.
Netanyahu is scheduled to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday where the developments in the negotiations would top the agenda. Trump told reporters last week that he will be “very firm” with Netanyahu during their upcoming meeting.
