U.S. officials briefed on the ongoing negotiations for a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas in Qatar, where the Israeli delegation arrived on Friday, expressed skepticism about progress on Saturday, saying, "It'll be difficult to reach a deal by January 20," the date of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Despite the pessimism and following Hamas’ release of a video showing IDF lookout Liri Albag who’s been held captive in Gaza since October 7, the officials clarified: "Efforts are still ongoing.
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Khalil al-Hayya, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: Retuers / Mohammed Salem / Erin Schaff /Pool , AP / Carlos Osorio, Alex Kolomoisky)
According to the Americans, reports from Doha indicate skepticism and significant gaps that hinder progress before the set deadline. Trump issued a warning to Hamas last month notifying the terror group of serious consequences should the hostages not be released.
The reported skepticism is unusual, as the Americans have typically projected optimism during the negotiations. However, all involved on the U.S. side appear doubtful at this time.
Still, one U.S. official suggested that the skepticism could be a positive sign, noting that negotiations often fail when optimism is high. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden’s envoy to the Middle East Brett McGurk is expected to join the talks in Doha, likely to make a final push to secure a deal before Trump’s inauguration.
In response to the U.S. skepticism, senior Israeli officials said, "There’s still a chance for a deal," though no guarantees exist. An Israeli source noted, "Progress has been made but it’ll take more time. The outcome of the negotiations is unpredictable."
Additionally, Israel views Hamas’ release of Liri’s video at this time as an attempt at psychological warfare and public opinion manipulation aimed at extracting further concessions from Israel.
The Israeli delegation, composed of Mossad, Shin Bet and IDF Military Intelligence officials, arrived in Doha on Friday morning. However, their mandate to conduct the talks was granted only in the afternoon, following a phone consultation between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his team.
Netanyahu "approved the continuation of the negotiations," giving the delegation a mandate to advance. Nonetheless, gaps remain, despite Israel describing the process as "slow progress."
The disparities between the parties center on several issues, the most pressing being the number of hostages to be released in the deal. Hamas is willing to release a very limited number of live hostages and refuses to provide a list of names upfront, which Israel insists on as a basis for progress.
Currently, the gap between the number of hostages Hamas is prepared to release and Israel's demands for a humanitarian hostage release phase is substantial. Disagreements also persist over ending the war and the military presence along the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors.
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Meanwhile, Shira and Eli Albag, Liri’s parents, addressed to her video after speaking with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. "We demanded that the negotiation team not return without an agreement," they said.