Watan–Critical hours are being experienced in the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza and the prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas. It is expected that a high-ranking Israeli delegation will arrive in the Qatari capital, Doha, later today, Sunday, after the occupying government’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, instructed the relevant officials, notably the head of Mossad, David Barnea, to travel to oversee the negotiations.
Although negotiations have been ongoing since the signing of the first deal after the initial fifty days of the war, each round has reached a critical point for the signing party before Netanyahu derails it at the last minute. This time, however, the negotiations carry greater importance, accompanied by hopes primarily held by the Palestinians and some notable indicators of their seriousness.
Earlier yesterday, Saturday, a leading source within Hamas confirmed that the final vision regarding the ceasefire in Gaza has been completed. The source added that arrangements are being made among the mediators to announce the agreement. The same source explained that everyone is now waiting for the envoy of the occupying government’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to Doha to deliver his approval of the latest amendments. Following this, a press conference will be held by the three mediators—Qatar, Egypt, and the United States—to announce the details of the agreement, its timeline, and its implementation date.
This progress is attributed to the arrival of Steve Wittekoff, the envoy of the elected U.S. President Donald Trump, in Doha the day before yesterday, Friday, and then to Tel Aviv yesterday, Saturday, during a visit described as a “surprise.” During this visit, Trump, who had previously threatened to “burn the Middle East,” conveyed his desire to see a signed ceasefire agreement before his inauguration in eight days.
The second indicator is related to an upcoming meeting between the Coordinator of Prisoner and Missing Affairs, Ghazi Hirsh, and the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Marianna Spoliarych, who will visit Israel to discuss the nature of the prisoners’ release, how their release will be carried out, and the role of the committee in the entire process. The committee previously participated in transferring prisoners from both sides to their homes in the first deal.
The third indicator concerns the confidentiality imposed by Netanyahu on the developments of these negotiations and his meetings with American officials from both the outgoing administration and the elected one expected to arrive at the White House soon. This excludes members of the Security and Political Affairs Council (the cabinet) from the discussions’ content. The exclusion of cabinet members is primarily linked to Netanyahu’s attempt to free himself from the pressures imposed by the hardline faction in his governing coalition. This faction previously announced that they do not support a deal that would end the war and some even threatened to dismantle the government they are essential for to achieve their aspirations of settling in Gaza. Netanyahu has thus tied the fate of his government to his struggle to maintain political survival.
Meanwhile, the Hebrew site “Wynet” quoted a high-ranking Israeli political official, who was not named, as saying that there has been “slow and gradual progress in the negotiations for weeks.” However, the recent developments are related to consultations held yesterday and the talks between Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Wittekoff, and Netanyahu, in addition to the participation of the current American administration, represented by Brett McGurk, via remote meeting technology.
Proposed Ceasefire Agreement in Gaza Includes Complete Withdrawal from Salah al-Din (Philadelphi) Axis on the Last Day of the Agreement Phases
According to the same official, these talks have touched upon the details of the deal, clarified the Israeli position, and directed Netanyahu’s delegation to travel to Doha. What the official described as an “increase in the levels of seriousness,” where previously the topics were at the practical level, and today they are at a higher level of discussion.
Despite the optimism, the Israeli official linked the success of the deal to Hamas, noting that Netanyahu’s meetings with security agency officials and American envoys “focused on all the blocked components,” pointing out that “the deal is complicated because it consists of many details. To reach an agreement, we must discuss all the details and reach consensus on them.” He added, “We are approaching a situation where we will close the deal,” adding, “It is important to note that we have not reached this level yet, as the signing phase is primarily linked to Hamas.”
Additionally, the official explained that the discussions focused on releasing 33 prisoners, according to the list of 34 prisoners that was revealed last week. The name of prisoner Hisham Al-Ziyadneh, a Palestinian from the Negev, was excluded. His body, along with that of his son Hamza, was announced to have been released from one of the tunnels in Gaza.
According to some sources, the proposed ceasefire agreement in Gaza includes a complete withdrawal from the Salah al-Din (Philadelphi) axis on the last day of the agreement phases. Under this proposal, the first phase includes a partial withdrawal of the occupying Israeli forces, while the second phase involves the remaining Israeli observation points. The final day of the third phase includes a complete withdrawal of the Israeli occupying army.
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