Related — done: Hamas contacts Russia on second phase of Gaza deal

The Palestinian Hamas movement is in contact with Russia about the second stage of the Gas deal, a source in the movement told Izvestia. At this stage of the agreement, the fate of Maxim Kharkin, a native of Donbass, who has been held captive since September 2023, should be discussed. Hamas continues to negotiate through intermediaries, seeking to achieve a complete cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the strip and the restoration of destroyed infrastructure. The movement is also discussing the details of the deal with the United States. The recent meeting was the first time that the American side had direct contact with the Palestinian movement. What is the plan of the US President's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, in the Izvestia article.

Hamas contacts with Russia

The Palestinian Hamas movement maintains a channel of communication with Russia on the issue of the second stage of the Gaza deal, a source in the movement told Izvestia. The task of rescuing Russian compatriots from captivity remains a priority issue in Russia's dialogue with Hamas.

"Of course, the movement is in constant contact with Russia on the second stage of the agreement," a Hamas source told the newspaper.

On February 15, Russian citizen Alexander Trufanov, who had been held captive for 498 days, was released. Moscow intends to continue working on the speedy return home of another compatriot, Maxim Kharkin, a native of Donbass. This was previously stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.

Harkin was not included in the list of hostages who were supposed to be released at the first stage of the deal. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously informed Izvestia that they had no information about Maxim's condition or whether he would be released at subsequent stages of the deal. In turn, Musa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of the Hamas political bureau, noted in an interview with Izvestia that Harkin's fate would be discussed at the second stage.

Negotiations on the second phase of the Gaza truce agreement are underway through intermediaries. Hamas insists on a complete cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the strip and the restoration of destroyed infrastructure.

The official representative of the movement, Hazem Qassem, confirmed that the new phase of negotiations began on March 12. According to him, Hamas is conducting a dialogue "with full responsibility and a positive attitude," hoping for "real progress" towards the implementation of the second stage.

At the same time, the movement expects new steps from the mediators, especially in the context of the Doha negotiations. Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Kanua said the movement had "shown flexibility" in all previous stages of the negotiation process and was now waiting for similar steps from the other side.

The first phase of the agreement allowed the return of 33 hostages to Israel, including the bodies of eight dead prisoners. In response, 1,800 Palestinian prisoners were released. However, the further stages of the deal, which could lead to a final ceasefire, are still in doubt.

Israel, according to the Times of Israel newspaper, is considering proposals from the US president's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. His plan calls for an extension of the truce by about two months. During this period, Hamas must hand over half of the remaining hostages. However, the movement rejected this plan, insisting on a complete cease-fire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.

Nevertheless, sources of the Israeli TV channel I24 report that a "shortened version of the Witkoff plan" is being discussed at the talks in Qatar. This option may involve expanding the first stage of the deal with the possibility of releasing several more groups of hostages.

"We can also come to a partial deal, according to which a limited number of hostages will be released, and Israeli troops will leave only certain areas," Mohammed Al—Masri, a Palestinian security expert, told Izvestia.

At the same time, the ceasefire is once again in danger of collapse, as both sides continue to take tough positions and do not demonstrate willingness to make significant concessions. Earlier, negotiations repeatedly stalled due to disagreements on key issues, including the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the terms of the truce and the terms of the prisoner exchange.

Hamas's dialogue with the United States

Direct contacts between Hamas and the United States have become an important aspect of the current negotiation process. In Doha, representatives of the movement met with the United States Special Envoy for the release of hostages Adam Boiler. The talks were initiated by Washington and were described by Hamas as "positive, but requiring additional study." This is the first time that the American side has entered into direct contact with the Palestinian movement, despite the fact that Washington officially continues to consider Hamas a terrorist organization.

A wide range of issues were discussed at the meeting, including the possibility of a full ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the reconstruction of Gaza. Hamas has expressed its readiness for a flexible approach if an agreement in principle is reached on the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the establishment of a permanent ceasefire.

Special attention was paid to the fate of hostages with American citizenship. According to sources in the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Hamas did not provide accurate information on whether they were still alive, but expressed its willingness to discuss their release. In response, the movement demanded that Israel release 200 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences for every American released, as well as release hundreds of other prisoners with shorter sentences. In addition, the idea of "exchanging everyone for everyone" was discussed.

The US's direct contacts with Hamas have caused outrage in the Israeli government, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times write. A special resonance was caused by the fact that the Trump team is discussing with Hamas the release of American prisoners without the participation of Israel. The Jewish state considers these contacts as undermining its own strategy for the release of hostages, the media write.

Against the background of difficulties in the negotiation process, the Israeli authorities are gradually increasing pressure on the Palestinian movement. In particular, border crossings were closed, humanitarian aid supplies were stopped, and electricity supply to the Gaza Strip was cut off. Netanyahu linked the suspension of humanitarian aid to Hamas' rejection of the Witkoff plan and threatened consequences if Hamas did not release the hostages.