Hamas facing pressure to accept US ‘final bridging proposal’ in negotiations this week

US State Sec Blinken arrives in Israel on Sunday, ahead of hostage talks in Cairo

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The United States, Egypt and Qatar are reportedly placing heavy pressure on Hamas to accept a ‘bridging proposal’ by the U.S., meant to close gaps between the two sides ahead of negotiations in Cairo on Wednesday.

Following two days of negotiations in Doha, Qatar last week, the U.S. put a “final bridging proposal” on the table, which was intended to address the remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas in the outline presented by U.S. President Joe Biden in May. Biden's proposal was based on an Israeli proposal sent to the U.S. on May 27.

According to a senior U.S. official, “What is on the table now basically bridges every gap, and we do believe it's time to conclude it. And when we get together next weekend, the aim will very much be to do so.”

The Israeli delegation, which included Mossad Chief David Barnea and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, returned to Israel Friday evening and held a briefing with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

At the end of Shabbat on Saturday evening, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stated: “The team expressed to the Prime Minister cautious optimism regarding the possibility of progress on the deal, in accordance with the updated American proposal (based on the May 27th framework), including components acceptable to Israel.”

“It is hoped that the heavy pressure on Hamas by the United States and the mediators will remove its opposition to the American proposal and will lead to a breakthrough in the talks,” the PMO stated.

Israel's Channel 12 reported that under the terms of this bridging proposal, female hostages would be released first, along with two hostages who have been held in Gaza since 2014 and 2015.

Israel's Walla news site reported that Israel agreed to limit its veto on the release of Palestinian prisoners if Hamas agreed to release more hostages in the first phase of the deal.

According to that report, low-level talks will continue in Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday. However, the report noted that the U.S. “bridging proposal” does not include two demands that Netanyahu insisted upon – a continuing Israeli presence in the Philadelphi Corridor and a mechanism for preventing the return of armed Hamas operatives to northern Gaza.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to arrive in Israel on Sunday to discuss the ceasefire-hostage release deal with Netanyahu, as well as Israel’s security situation in light of recent threats from Iran and Hezbollah.

On Friday, Biden expressed cautious optimism about the negotiations.

"We're much, much closer than we were three days ago," he told White House reporters. "I don't want to jinx anything," the U.S. president said, before noting, "We’re not there yet.”