Mediators pushing Hamas to soften demands for a Gaza ceasefire, eyeing minor wording changes, especially on ending the war, to break the deadlock.
Sources familiar with the negotiations on a ceasefire and hostage release deal told Kan 11 News on Sunday that the mediators “continue to exert pressure on Hamas in an attempt to get them to completely withdraw their objections or, at the very least, water them down.”
According to one of the sources, “It is possible that some minor changes in the wording of the proposal, particularly regarding the issue of ending the war, will satisfy Hamas and enable progress.”
The comments come a day after Hamas claimed it responded “positively” to US envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal. Witkoff, however, rejected Hamas’s response and slammed it as “totally unacceptable”, stressing that it “only takes us backward.”
A senior Hamas official, Mahmoud Mardawi, disputed Witkoff’s claims and said, “We did not refuse the proposal; the disagreement is about guarantees. All our comments pertained to fundamental issues.”
Hamas on Sunday welcomed a statement by Egypt and Qatar reaffirming their commitment to advancing ceasefire negotiations in Gaza, based on the proposal put forward by Witkoff, though the group continued to demand a full Israeli withdrawal from the Strip.
“We welcome the continued efforts of Qatar and Egypt to reach an end to Israel’s war against our people in the Gaza Strip. We emphasize our readiness to immediately begin a round of indirect negotiations to reach an agreement on the points of contention, in a manner that will ensure aid to our people and end the humanitarian tragedy, leading to a permanent ceasefire and a full withdrawal of IDF forces,” the terrorist organization stated.
Meanwhile, Israel is continuing to exert pressure on Hamas. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir on Sunday instructed an expansion of the maneuver in Gaza to additional areas in the south and north of the Strip, until conditions are created for the return of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas.
Earlier on Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that he has ordered the IDF to continue the war against the terror organizations in the Gaza Strip, regardless of developments in the hostage negotiations.
“On the eve of Shavuot, the IDF is operating with great force, crushing the enemy, and clearing a path for the maneuvering forces,” he stated.
“I have ordered the IDF to continue moving forward to all objectives, regardless of any negotiations, and to use every tool, from the air, ground, and sea, to protect the IDF soldiers and to remove and crush the Hamas terrorists,” Katz added.
He concluded, “Those who massacred and fight us will pay the full price. As I said: either Hamas lets the hostages go, or it will be destroyed.”
