Hamas clings to demands Israel ‘can’t meet,’ says Netanyahu as Mossad chief returns from latest hostage deal talks

Mossad Director David Barnea returned on Monday from the latest round of hostage negotiations in Doha, Qatar, as pessimism persists among Israeli leadership about the likelihood of a successful deal.

“The sides discussed a new unified framework that integrates previous proposals and also takes into account the main issues and recent developments in the region,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.

“The discussions between the mediators and Hamas will continue in the coming days in order to evaluate the feasibility of talks and the continued effort to advance a deal.”

The “unified framework” mentioned in the statement referenced in the statement pertains to efforts to merge two recent proposals into a comprehensive deal aimed at ending both the war against Hamas in Gaza and the conflict with Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.

Egypt recently proposed a limited deal to restart the negotiations and build momentum. The proposal includes a 48-hour truce, during which Hamas would release four living hostages in exchange for ten Palestinian prisoners each.

However, on Monday, Netanyahu’s spokesman said the prime minister claimed no such proposal had been received from Hamas.

“If such a proposal had been raised, the Prime Minister would have accepted it immediately,” he said.

The second outline advanced by Qatar, in coordination with the United States, seeks a more comprehensive agreement.

According to the Axios news site, the proposal envisions a 28-day truce, during which Hamas would release around eight hostages – either women or elderly men – and Israel would free dozens of Palestinian prisoners in exchange.

“Israel agrees to a temporary pause, but Hamas wants a pause that would open a process that would lead to irreversible Israeli steps. If neither side softens its position there isn't going to be a deal,” a senior Israeli official told Axios.

According to leaks published by Israel’s Channel 12 News, during a meeting on Monday, Netanyahu told party colleagues that the proposals have not been met with any definitive agreement from Hamas, which continues to demand conditions that Israel “cannot meet,” such as ending the war.

“We are constantly working to try and get the hostages back,” he reportedly said, adding that Israel was even open “to find partial solutions. But it is not certain that opportunities will develop just because of Sinwar’s elimination.”

“We are being presented options that we will capitalize on,” Netanyahu said, “and we will bring back whoever we can, whenever we can.”

An Israeli official told the Times of Israel that a key challenge is Israel’s uncertainty about who is making decisions within Hamas since Sinwar’s death.

“They still haven’t had their primaries,” he said, “and Hamas abroad is in chaos.”

On Sunday, Hamas sources told the Saudi channel Asharq News that the group continues to demand a “comprehensive deal” and will propose the immediate release of all hostages in exchange for an immediate end to the war, the full withdrawal of IDF troops from the Gaza Strip, and the release of a certain number of Palestinian prisoners.

“We will listen to the offers [of the negotiators], but for our part, we prefer a comprehensive deal that takes place in one stage and ends the war once and for all,” the unnamed Hamas official said.

Regional officials told the New York Times that they do not believe there is a high chance of progress before the upcoming U.S. elections, estimating that Netanyahu will want to wait and see who becomes the next American president to adapt his strategy accordingly.