Israel Sends Delegation to Qatar for Hostage Talks Amid Mounting Public Pressure and Hamas Demands
Israel sends delegation to Doha despite rejecting Hamas’s ceasefire conditions, as hostage families demand a deal that leaves no one behind.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — An Israeli delegation departed for Doha, Qatar on Sunday to engage in indirect negotiations with Hamas over a potential hostage release and ceasefire agreement, even as Israeli officials labeled the latest demands from the terror group “unacceptable,” according to The Times of Israel.
The diplomatic push, coordinated with U.S. backing, comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday to discuss Gaza, Iran, and broader regional issues. Despite Hamas offering a “positive” response on Friday to a proposed framework deal, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the group’s subsequent amendments crossed red lines. Still, the government has opted to send negotiators to Qatar to test the path forward.
The framework under discussion would reportedly secure the release of about half the living and half the deceased hostages held in Gaza over a 60-day period in five phases. However, Hamas has conditioned its acceptance on three amendments: the continuation of ceasefire talks until a permanent agreement is reached, a full resumption of international aid under UN supervision, and an IDF withdrawal to pre-March positions. The PMO stated Friday night that these conditions “are not acceptable to Israel,” though it did not specify which ones were particularly problematic, The Times of Israel reported.
Meanwhile, public sentiment inside Israel has reached a boiling point. Thousands gathered Saturday night across the country demanding the government secure the release of all hostages, not just a partial few, regardless of the political cost. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum likened the partial deal to Nazi-era “selection” practices at death camps, where victims were separated by perceived value to the regime. “It’s time for a deal that saves everyone, living and fallen — a deal without ‘selection,’” said Maccabit Meyer, aunt of twin hostages Gali and Ziv Berman, to a crowd of 2,000 in Tel Aviv.
Yuval Sharabi, whose father was killed and uncle released from Hamas captivity, called any failure to capitalize on Israel’s recent military leverage a “diplomatic failure.” She emphasized the urgency: “The living hostages have to return before we lose them like we lost you.”
According to The Times of Israel, "terror groups" in Gaza are believed to still be holding 50 hostages — 20 confirmed alive, 28 dead, and two whose fates remain unknown. Despite the negotiations, violence has persisted. On Sunday, two rockets were fired toward southern Israel but were intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system.
At a separate rally, Yotam Cohen — brother of captured soldier Nimrod Cohen — condemned far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, labeling them “terrorists” and accusing them of obstructing any agreement that doesn’t end in Hamas’s total defeat. “A deal that will leave Hamas in place for at least two months… will leave 10 living hostages in captivity,” Cohen warned.
In a strongly worded post on X, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to withdraw from the proposed Gaza ceasefire deal, which he dismissed as an act of “surrender,” warning that it would reward terror and divert Israel from its true objective of defeating Hamas. Ben Gvir, a hardline right-wing figure, called instead for a return to a “framework of decisive victory,” which he claimed could only be achieved through full control over Gaza, blocking all humanitarian aid, and relocating its population — proposals widely condemned internationally.
He argued that permitting large-scale aid deliveries would only serve to revive Hamas. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich echoed this stance on Monday, telling reporters at a press conference that he opposed any deal that would end the war in Gaza and pledged to raise the issue directly with Netanyahu, according to The Times of Israel.
Sources cited by The Times of Israel said Netanyahu has been trying to prevent a political collapse by urging Smotrich and Ben Gvir to delay any resignations until after the first 60-day phase of the deal. Netanyahu is also reportedly reassuring them that any final agreement will include Gaza’s demilitarization.
A reservist medic, Itai Shteinmetz, addressed protestors, criticizing Israel’s leadership for perpetuating endless conflict. “Their job is to do everything they can so we don’t have to fight anymore,” he said.
Among Hamas's key demands is the provision for uninterrupted ceasefire talks until a permanent agreement is reached. Israel, however, has consistently rejected any deal that leaves Hamas in power in Gaza. According to The Times of Israel, a previous ceasefire deal collapsed earlier this year after Israel refused to enter talks for a final phase involving a permanent cessation of hostilities.
Hamas also insists that humanitarian aid resume under international mechanisms, while Israel prefers its own US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), aimed at preventing aid diversion by Hamas. That mechanism has also come under scrutiny after deadly incidents near its distribution centers. On Sunday, two American contractors were wounded in an attack by Hamas fighters at a GHF site, The Times of Israel reported.
Additionally, Hamas demands that the IDF withdraw to pre-offensive positions — a reversal of gains made under Israel’s recent “Gideon’s Chariots” operation, which seized over 75% of Gaza, according to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.
As negotiations heat up, Netanyahu departed for Washington on Sunday. Speaking aboard Air Force One earlier, President Trump expressed optimism about a potential deal. “There could be a Gaza deal next week,” he said. “I’m very optimistic. But, you know, look — it changes from day to day,” The Times of Israel quoted him as saying.
Netanyahu is scheduled to return on Thursday, though observers note he often extends trips abroad, particularly to avoid traveling during Shabbat. With rising pressure from hostage families, far-right coalition members, and the international community, all eyes are now on Doha and Washington — and whether diplomacy or deadlock will prevail.
