Four days after the first phase of the hostage agreement concluded, efforts to extend the deal have reached an impasse. Mediators informed Israel that Hamas has refused to be flexible or engage with the proposal set out by U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff. Instead, Hamas insists on moving forward with the second phase of the deal and accuses Israel of breaching the agreement.
Despite Hamas’s refusal, Israeli officials remain hopeful that the group may reconsider its stance at the last minute, especially as Israel edges closer to resuming military actions. Jerusalem believes that Hamas, recognizing Israel’s close coordination with Washington and the strong support from the U.S. president, may opt for a compromise.
Although Israeli officials believe that military action might not resume immediately, they do not rule out the possibility of renewed conflict as soon as next week. In the meantime, Eyal Zamir, the newly appointed Chief of Staff for the IDF, begins his role on Wednesday, with political leaders allowing him a few days to adjust. Israel does not expect any breakthrough until Witkoff visits the region, but no date has been set for his visit, which may not take place until next week. A senior Israeli security official noted that Witkoff has not been in a rush to arrive due to the lack of progress in the talks.
Israel’s political leadership decided to halt humanitarian aid to Gaza over the weekend in response to Hamas’s refusal to continue negotiations and the expiration of the cease-fire. Israel is now preparing to intensify pressure on Hamas, including cutting off water and electricity to the Strip. Under Witkoff’s proposed plan, half of the remaining hostages—both dead and alive—would be released on the first day of the agreement. The second half would be freed upon the conclusion of the deal, contingent on securing a permanent cease-fire agreement.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar refrained from commenting on whether Israel had set a deadline for Hamas to comply before military operations would resume. “If we decide to act, we will,” he stated regarding a potential return to fighting. “We are ready to proceed with the second phase, but we demand a commitment to the release of the hostages.” Regarding the suspension of humanitarian aid, Saar said, “We cannot allow aid to be used to sustain Hamas’ war against Israel.” He added that Israel had fully honored its obligations under the previous hostage agreement, stating, “Israel accepted U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal to extend the agreement, but Hamas refused. That is why Israel has halted the transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Any aid that reaches Hamas is not humanitarian—it has become the terror group’s main source of revenue. Hamas exploits it to fund terrorism, rebuild its capabilities, and recruit more terrorist operatives.”
An Israeli senior official revealed that Israel had suggested a temporary “bridging solution” in Cairo, involving the release of some hostages in exchange for a short-term arrangement during the current week. However, after Hamas rejected the offer, Israel decided to close the border crossings. The official dismissed the term “humanitarian aid,” instead referring to the halted shipments as “logistical supplies,” despite Israel’s previous decisions—led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—to allow food, electricity, and fuel into Gaza. “I would like to see hostages released and allow the entry of goods suitable for Ramadan celebrations,” the official said. “If Hamas releases hostages, we will certainly consider allowing in supplies needed for the holiday and for Iftar meals. But first, we must take care of our own people. We need to bring back both the living and the dead.”
According to the official, the temporary arrangement was meant to provide a buffer period between the completion of the first phase and the negotiations for the next stage. Israel views this phase as a discussion about Witkoff’s framework, rather than continuing with the original second phase of the hostage deal. “We wanted a window of time between negotiating Witkoff’s plan and the first phase of the deal,” the official explained. “We don’t view it as moving on to ‘Phase II,’ but rather transitioning to a new stage.”
Israeli officials stated that Witkoff’s framework would require several weeks of negotiations to address critical issues. Meanwhile, Israel insists that hostage releases must occur as a condition for continuing discussions. Officials argue that Hamas’s refusal to release hostages before further talks could ultimately derail the process. “Israel’s policy is clear—there is no such thing as a cease-fire without the release of hostages,” the official emphasized. “For us, negotiations must take place either under fire or within an agreed framework. Hamas simply refused to continue talks in a mutually acceptable manner, which is why the government decided on Saturday night” to halt humanitarian aid transfers.
{Matzav.com}