After an initial session of discussions deemed constructive, a second session is expected to resume today, Friday, in Doha, including the Qatari, Egyptian, and American mediators, alongside the Israeli delegation. The aim is to continue addressing unresolved issues related to the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the exchange of prisoners with Hamas. Following seven hours of talks yesterday, where all parties expressed a genuine desire to reach a consensus, discussions today will focus on the mechanism for implementing the proposed agreement, according to a senior Egyptian source.
The main sticking points still revolve around the mechanism for a "permanent" ceasefire and the end of the war, as well as Israel's insistence on maintaining control over the Salah al-Din (Philadelphi) corridor, which it believes Hamas uses to smuggle weapons and fighters. Additionally, Israel demands the inspection of those returning to northern Gaza, a request that Hamas rejects.
Moreover, Israel continues to impose what resembles a veto on Hamas's request for the release of Israeli prisoners serving long sentences (life sentences) or those convicted of "terrorist" charges. Furthermore, Tel Aviv insists on knowing the names of all Israeli prisoners still held in the besieged Gaza Strip, a condition previously declared impossible to fulfill by Hamas sources because some prisoners are held by several armed Palestinian factions.
Hamas, on its part, insists that any ceasefire agreement in Gaza must include a "full withdrawal" of Israeli forces from the war-torn region. It is noteworthy that Hamas officials did not participate in yesterday’s session, but a source familiar with the negotiations confirmed that the mediators consulted with Hamas's negotiating team in Doha after the meeting.
The Israeli delegation included intelligence chief David Barnea, Israel's domestic security service (Shin Bet) head Ronen Bar, and the military's hostage coordinator Nitzan Alon. Representing Washington in the talks called for by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani were CIA Director Bill Burns and U.S. envoy to the Middle East Brett McGurk. The Egyptian side was headed by Abbas Kamel, head of the General Intelligence Service.
