Mediators Rebuke Hamas for Derailing Truce Talks With New Demands

Mediators sharply criticized Hamas on Wednesday for what they described as an “unacceptable” response to the most recent ceasefire and hostage release proposal, according to a source involved in the ongoing negotiations who spoke with the Times of Israel Wednesday.

Hamas terrorists submitted their counterproposal late Tuesday, following several days of what mediators viewed as stalling by the terror organization.

Just a week earlier, negotiators were optimistic about reaching an agreement, as Israel had eased several of its demands, particularly regarding its military presence in Gaza during the planned two-month ceasefire.

However, in its new response, Hamas insisted on further Israeli troop withdrawals toward the border, the source said. An Arab diplomat familiar with the discussions added that Hamas also demanded stronger guarantees from mediators to make it harder for Israel to restart fighting after the 60-day pause, clearer terms to dismantle the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and a higher number of Palestinian security prisoners in exchange for each Israeli hostage.

According to the source involved in mediation, internal divisions persist within Hamas over whether to make necessary compromises or stick to a tougher stance. For now, the group has opted for the latter to preserve internal consensus.

Egyptian and Qatari mediators rejected Hamas’s response, informing the group that they would not pass it on to US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. Instead, they urged Hamas to return with a more realistic and flexible proposal, the source said, noting growing exasperation among the mediators.

Among the mediators is Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian-American businessman who previously served as a campaign surrogate for former US President Donald Trump. He played a behind-the-scenes role in the release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander in May.

Bahbah publicly criticized Hamas from Doha, writing on social media that the group’s “procrastination has cost the Palestinian people dozens of victims daily.”

“There is no convincing reason for delaying the response or demanding non-essential amendments,” Bahbah posted, adding that Hamas could address other concerns during subsequent talks once a truce begins.

“Let us move forward with a deal with American guarantees that allows everyone to negotiate to reach a permanent ceasefire,” he added.

Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer — a close aide to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and head of Israel’s negotiating team — is expected to meet US envoy Witkoff and a senior Qatari mediator in Italy on Thursday, according to a source familiar with the process.

On Tuesday, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce announced that Witkoff was “heading to the Gaza area,” sparking speculation that a breakthrough was close. At the time, however, Hamas had not yet submitted its formal response.

The announcement turned out to be premature, with the State Department later clarifying that no trip to Doha had been finalized for Witkoff.

US officials have said the envoy will only join in-person talks once negotiations are on the brink of completion. According to a source close to the process, if Thursday’s meeting in Rome shows sufficient progress, Witkoff could then travel to Doha.

“We want this ceasefire to happen as soon as possible and we want these hostages to be released,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday.

Proximity talks in Doha have been underway since July 6. The proposal currently being discussed includes the release of 10 living hostages and the return of the bodies of 18 murdered hostages, in exchange for a yet-undefined number of Palestinian prisoners during the 60-day pause.

If implemented, the temporary truce would be followed by negotiations on a permanent ceasefire and the release of the remaining 22 hostages, approximately 10 of whom are believed to be alive.