Israel Concerned That Hamas Negotiators Are Not in Control

An informed Israeli source said that there are concerns in Israel that the negotiators from Hamas do not have control over what is happening on the ground in the Gaza Strip, which is making the negotiations regarding a ceasefire deal slow and complicated.

According to the source who spoke to “i24 News,” Israel believes that the decision-making process and the organizational structure of Hamas, after the killing of its leader Yehya Sinwar, have not stabilized, making managing the talks extremely difficult. The source added, “Israeli officials want to ensure that anyone representing Hamas in the negotiations is also capable of bringing back the hostages from Hamas in Gaza.”

Israeli sources accused Hamas negotiators of introducing new demands regarding the injured Israeli hostages, in addition to refusing to provide a list of living prisoners. The sources said, “Israel insists on complete lists of the living hostages, but they have not been received yet.”

Last week, both Israel and Hamas dispelled any optimism regarding the imminent signing of a deal in Gaza, which would include a temporary ceasefire and a prisoner exchange. The two sides exchanged accusations regarding obstacles that delayed the agreement.

After a flood of reports, statements, and analyses regarding a deal in Gaza, Hamas issued a statement in which it said, “The occupation imposed new issues and conditions related to withdrawal, ceasefire, prisoners, and the return of displaced persons, which delayed reaching the agreement that was available.” Immediately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office responded with a counterstatement, saying, “Hamas is lying again and withdrawing from the agreements that were reached, continuing to create difficulties in the negotiations. However, Israel will continue its tireless efforts to return all hostages.”

The exchange of accusations regarding the thwarting of a potentially achievable deal came after the Israeli negotiating delegation returned to Israel from Doha, at Netanyahu’s request for consultations.

In practice, the negotiations are stalled but not stopped. Informed sources told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that despite the return of the Israeli delegation, discussions and attempts to bridge the gaps continue. According to the sources, the disagreements center around Hamas’s desire for a clear commitment to a gradual withdrawal from Gaza, with specific timelines and maps, and to reach a framework agreement on the criteria for the release of prisoners in later stages. On the other hand, Israel wants a complete list from Hamas of all the prisoners it holds, both alive and dead, and who will be released in the first phase. Israel is seeking a partial deal, not a comprehensive one.

Channel 12 in Israel confirmed that Netanyahu forced the negotiating team to reach a partial deal rather than a comprehensive one, due to threats from his coalition partners.

Mediators fear that a setback in the negotiations could delay the deal by months. U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios that if the ceasefire talks do not yield results before January 20, the upcoming start of President-elect Donald Trump’s term, reaching an agreement could be delayed for months.

The officials warned that if the deal is delayed until Trump takes office, it could cost the lives of more detainees in Gaza. Axios reported, quoting the officials, that both sides want to break the deadlock in the negotiations, but neither wants to make major concessions.

The site quoted Netanyahu as saying in meetings held after the delegation returned from Qatar that it is unclear who is making decisions in Hamas; is it the representatives of the movement in Qatar, or Hamas leader in Gaza, Mohammed Sinwar (the brother of Yehya Sinwar, who was killed by Israel)? Netanyahu added, according to the site, that Sinwar is refusing to provide a list of those who will be released, asserting, “I am not willing to enter into a deal without knowing what the deal is and what I will get out of it.”