The U.S. is growing increasingly frustrated with Hamas’ continued refusal to accept any new compromise, as well as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence on maintaining a presence along the Philadelphi Corridor, which is complicating efforts to make progress in hostage negotiations.
Israeli officials now believe the latest mediation proposal, initially planned for submission by the U.S. this weekend, is likely to be delayed. According to sources in Israel, the Americans are leaning toward withholding their proposal, having concluded that Hamas is not engaging seriously and has backtracked on several issues.
Washington is expected to wait until mediators exert enough pressure on Hamas to bring them back to the negotiating table. Only when it's clear that Hamas is ready will the new proposal be presented.
There is concern that introducing another offer — the second in just a few weeks — could lead to further embarrassment for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, especially in an election year, and amid constant criticism from Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump.
Israeli sources express deep pessimism, stating that the chances for a deal are now slim. Nevertheless, Israel awaits a final decision from the Americans on whether to submit the mediation offer. This pessimism stems in part from Hamas hardening its stance in the negotiations, seeking to release as few hostages as possible in exchange for as many convicted terrorists as they can. “The more you push for the release of a larger number of hostages, the more Hamas raises the number of murderers they want freed,” an Israeli official explained.
A security source involved in the talks emphasized that the public perception that a deal is being blocked due to Israel’s insistence on maintaining a military presence along the Philadelphi Corridor is false. “That’s simply not true,” he said. “There’s no deal because Hamas doesn’t want one. They’re insisting on an end to the war and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.” Meanwhile, others involved in the negotiations argue that Netanyahu’s insistence on holding the Philadelphi Corridor is what ultimately derailed the chances for an agreement.