A delegation of Israeli negotiators departed for Doha on Monday afternoon and is expected to begin indirect talks with Hamas later in the day through mediators, based on a framework proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s special Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff. The initial discussions will focus on the structure of the negotiations and the issues to be addressed. Witkoff himself is expected to join the talks on Tuesday or Wednesday.
In an interview with Fox News earlier in the day, Witkoff said, “We need deadlines” for the next stage of the cease-fire deal, reiterating his claim that this is the only way to advance the stalled negotiations. Last week he stressed that “Trump has had enough.” According to Witkoff, “This has to happen. The way these hostages are being held is unacceptable.”
Steve Witkoff talks to Fox News about the upcoming talks in Doha
(Video: Fox News)
Witkoff emphasized the urgency of securing the hostages’ release, describing the condition of those already freed as “simply unacceptable” and "deplorable." He added: “Many of them came out sick, they hadn’t eaten, they didn’t receive medical care. It’s a terrible situation for them. It’s just unacceptable.”
Meanwhile, Hamas continued to reject Witkoff’s proposal, reiterating Monday afternoon its demand to move to the second phase of negotiations, which includes a permanent cease-fire. “We reaffirm our full commitment to the cease-fire agreement and its implementation, and we are ready to immediately begin negotiations for the second phase,” the terror group said.
Hamas accused Israel of “undermining the agreement and refusing to proceed to the second phase, exposing its intention to evade and delay. Netanyahu is obstructing the agreement’s implementation for personal and political reasons, and the last thing he cares about is releasing the Zionist prisoners or the feelings of their families.”
2 View gallery
Adam Boehler, Donald Trump, Benjamin NetanyahuAdam Boehler, Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu
Adam Boehler, Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: Mahmoud Al-Basos/Reuters, Jim Watson / AFP, Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP)
In another statement, Hamas said: “The agreement was brokered by the mediators and witnessed by the world. Its implementation is mandatory as it is the only way to return the enemy’s prisoners. We reject attempts to pressure Hamas, while the occupation evades its commitments without accountability. The language of extortion and threats of war will not work. There is no way forward except negotiations and adherence to the agreement. Anything else jeopardizes the fate of the prisoners. The occupation’s continued stalling and deception will not provide it cover, but rather increase its isolation and expose the falsehood of its narrative to the world.”
Hamas stated earlier Monday that it has shown flexibility in talks with the United States, Qatar and Egypt regarding the hostage deal and cease-fire with Israel. It said it is now waiting to see whether negotiations with Israel will yield results and allow the second phase of the agreement to proceed. “The talks focused on ending the war, Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and its reconstruction,” Hamas said.
2 View gallery
סטיב וויטקוף שליחו של נשיא ארה"ב דונלד טראמפ למזרח התיכון במהלך שיחות בסעודיה על עתיד אוקראינה מול גורמים ברוסיהסטיב וויטקוף שליחו של נשיא ארה"ב דונלד טראמפ למזרח התיכון במהלך שיחות בסעודיה על עתיד אוקראינה מול גורמים ברוסיה
Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff will join the talks in Doha
(Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/Pool/Reuters)
“We fulfilled our commitments in the first phase. Our priority now is to provide aid to our people and ensure a permanent cease-fire,” Hamas spokesperson Abd al-Latif al-Qanou said. He added that Hamas agreed to Egypt’s proposal to establish a committee to govern Gaza, but claimed Israel’s goal is to tighten the blockade, close the crossings, prevent relief for Palestinians, and push them to emigrate. “Israel’s talk of military plans to resume fighting, along with cutting off electricity, threatens the hostages, who will only be freed through negotiations,” he said.
A Palestinian official told Sky News Arabia on Monday that Egypt insisted on discussing the disarmament of Hamas as a condition for establishing the proposed governing committee in Gaza. This, the official said, is intended to prevent Israeli objections that could hinder reconstruction efforts.
Ahead of the Israeli delegation’s departure for Qatar, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to give the team “full authority to bring home all 59 hostages at once.”
Earlier Monday, diplomatic sources told the Qatari news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the future of Hamas’ weapons in Gaza was a key issue in talks between Trump’s envoy, Adam Boehler, and the terror group. According to the report, Hamas’ proposed “package,” supported by other armed factions in Gaza, also covers the West Bank and Jerusalem. It includes a cease-fire lasting at least 10 years. “The situation in Jerusalem, according to the proposal, would remain unchanged,” the report said, referring to the status quo.
The Qatari report stated that Hamas expressed a willingness to discuss its offensive weapons and rockets in exchange for the long-term truce, which would include an Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, the end of the war and the release of all Israeli hostages, beginning with those holding American citizenship. Hamas reportedly offered to release American hostage Edan Alexander as a “gesture of goodwill” to keep negotiations open with Washington. However, the group emphasized it would not relinquish its weapons in the event a Palestinian state is established.
Diaa Rashwan, head of Egypt’s State Information Service, told Al-Raed TV Monday night that the talks between the United States and Egypt indicate that “there is no winner in the war.” According to Rashwan, “Netanyahu will not resume the war without Trump. The meetings between Washington and Hamas reveal secrets about Gaza’s future after the war — because their communication means that the day after belongs to Hamas.”