A Palestinian official told the BBC that talks aimed at keeping the Gaza ceasefire going have failed. The US blamed Hamas for making demands they called "entirely impractical" during meetings held in Qatar. The first part of the temporary truce ended on March 1, leaving negotiators searching for new ways to move forward. American officials suggested extending this first phase until mid-April, which would include more swaps of hostages held by Hamas and prisoners held by Israel.
The unnamed Palestinian source explained that Hamas and Israel could not agree on major parts of the deal presented by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff at the indirect discussions. Israel has not yet made any official statements about this failure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to hear from his negotiation team later Saturday. The White House criticized Hamas for requesting things they could not possibly deliver when responding to Witkoff's suggestions.
This American plan would extend the fighting pause into April but push back talks about permanently ending the war. Officials from Witkoff's office and the US National Security Council stated on Friday: "Hamas is making a very bad bet that time is on its side. It is not." They mentioned that Hamas knows about the deadline and should expect consequences if it misses it. The BBC saw a Hamas statement claiming the negotiations had completely broken down.
Netanyahu's team previously announced Israel had accepted what America proposed. They accused Hamas of refusing to budge even slightly and called their actions "manipulation and psychological warfare." Both sides reached an agreement on a three-stage ceasefire back in January after fifteen months of fighting. During the initial stage, Hamas returned twenty-five living Israeli hostages, remains of eight others, and five Thai hostages. Israel freed about 1,800 Palestinian prisoners in exchange.
The second stage should include releasing all remaining living hostages in Gaza for more Palestinian prisoners. Both parties currently disagree about how many hostages should be freed next. They also cannot reach an agreement about removing Israeli troops from Gaza, which the original deal says should happen by this point. Israel resists pulling out soldiers, but Hamas demands it must happen. Israeli authorities have cut off all aid going into Gaza, including food, fuel, and electricity, saying these measures aim to pressure Hamas.
The unnamed Palestinian source explained that Hamas and Israel could not agree on major parts of the deal presented by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff at the indirect discussions. Israel has not yet made any official statements about this failure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to hear from his negotiation team later Saturday. The White House criticized Hamas for requesting things they could not possibly deliver when responding to Witkoff's suggestions.
This American plan would extend the fighting pause into April but push back talks about permanently ending the war. Officials from Witkoff's office and the US National Security Council stated on Friday: "Hamas is making a very bad bet that time is on its side. It is not." They mentioned that Hamas knows about the deadline and should expect consequences if it misses it. The BBC saw a Hamas statement claiming the negotiations had completely broken down.
Netanyahu's team previously announced Israel had accepted what America proposed. They accused Hamas of refusing to budge even slightly and called their actions "manipulation and psychological warfare." Both sides reached an agreement on a three-stage ceasefire back in January after fifteen months of fighting. During the initial stage, Hamas returned twenty-five living Israeli hostages, remains of eight others, and five Thai hostages. Israel freed about 1,800 Palestinian prisoners in exchange.
The second stage should include releasing all remaining living hostages in Gaza for more Palestinian prisoners. Both parties currently disagree about how many hostages should be freed next. They also cannot reach an agreement about removing Israeli troops from Gaza, which the original deal says should happen by this point. Israel resists pulling out soldiers, but Hamas demands it must happen. Israeli authorities have cut off all aid going into Gaza, including food, fuel, and electricity, saying these measures aim to pressure Hamas.
