Take the treaty: Israel and Hamas resume dialogue on the future of Gaza

The negotiation process on a cease-fire in Gaza is resuming after the Iranian-Israeli escalation, Hamas told Izvestia. A new series of meetings is expected in Cairo and Doha. The Palestinian movement is unable to maintain control of Gaza due to Israel's support for hostile clans and the worsening humanitarian crisis. Against this background, the leadership of the group is ready to show flexibility for the sake of a truce. Israeli Minister of Strategic Planning Ron Dermer will arrive in the United States on June 30 to discuss the situation in the exclave.

Gas negotiations

The negotiation process to resolve the situation in the Gaza Strip has intensified again. This was reported to Izvestia by a source in Hamas. According to him, the contacts in recent days have become noticeably more intense than in previous weeks. A new series of indirect talks involving intermediaries is expected to take place in Cairo or Doha in the near future. The main task is to agree on an interim ceasefire agreement and guarantees for the supply of humanitarian aid.

— Contacts and meetings are taking place in Cairo and Doha these days. The mediators have resumed efforts to revive negotiations after the Iranian-Israeli escalation, the movement told Izvestia.

Israeli Strategic Planning Minister Ron Dermer is scheduled to meet in Washington on Monday, June 30. There, he will discuss, in particular, the situation in Gaza before a new round of talks begins in Cairo, the Times of Israel newspaper reported, citing an unnamed diplomat.

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According to Asharq Al-Awsat, the focus is now on formulating an interim plan with the opportunity to discuss its details during subsequent rounds. At the same time, the sources of the publication are confident that it is premature to talk about a "breakthrough" at least until mid-July, despite the fact that Donald Trump had previously stated that a truce in Gaza could be reached as early as this week.

Asharq Al-Awsat's interlocutors note that the discussion focuses on the revision of the plan by US Special Representative Steven Witkoff. According to representatives of the Palestinian movement, there may be two key conditions in the new text: ensuring a complete ceasefire and fulfilling all points of the humanitarian protocol.

According to Hamas, some progress has already been made in these areas, both in dialogue with the main mediators — Egypt and Qatar, as well as with the United States. "There is progress on the humanitarian agenda and the regime of silence," Asharq Al—Awsat quoted a representative of the movement as saying.

In general, the Witkoff plan contains 13 points and assumes a truce for a period of 60 days. According to its terms, on the first and seventh days of the truce, Hamas will hand over to Israel 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 dead. In response, Israel will release 125 Palestinians sentenced to life in prison, 1,111 Gazans detained after October 7, 2023, and hand over 180 bodies of the dead.

On the tenth day, Hamas and Israel will exchange information about the remaining hostages, Palestinian prisoners and detainees. If a permanent ceasefire agreement is not concluded within 60 days, the temporary truce may be extended.

The plan also includes the redeployment of the Israeli army inside the sector and the organization of humanitarian aid supplies under the supervision of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The United States, Egypt and Qatar should become guarantors of compliance with the agreement.

Hamas loses control of Gaza

The movement recognizes that it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain control over the sector. This is probably the reason for the resumption of negotiations. According to sources from the Reuters news agency, Hamas militant groups continue to operate autonomously, following orders to resist "to the last," but the situation in Gaza is deteriorating, and Israel openly supports tribes hostile to the Palestinian movement. The military wing of the Izzaddin al-Qassam Brigades movement has been operating without a central command since the assassination of leader Mohammed Sinwar on May 13, media reported.

Against this background, Hamas is in dire need of a respite that would allow the movement to maintain its position in the exclave. In addition, the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza is increasing international pressure for an immediate truce.

The key obstacles to an agreement remain two points of the Israeli conditions, supported so far only by Washington: the disarmament of Hamas and other factions, as well as the withdrawal of its leadership from the sector. The movement emphasizes that they are not ready to make such concessions, and the issue of the voluntary departure of the leaders or the dissolution of the military wing is not even being discussed.

"The Hamas movement was in favor of extending the hostage exchange stage, but the essence of Witkoff's proposed plan has not changed," Mohammed Al—Masri, a Palestinian security expert, told Izvestia.

In particular, the movement also insists on replacing the wording "redeployment of Israeli troops" with a tougher one — "withdrawal of troops."

Some analysts believe that Israel is deliberately delaying the negotiations, linking this to the domestic political calculations of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. For him, the continuation of hostilities serves as a tool to distract attention from internal problems and prosecutions. In particular, the head of government is accused of corruption.

French entrepreneur and geopolitical analyst, leader of the International Alliance of Patriots, Thierry Laurent Andre Pelle, in an interview with Izvestia, expressed the opinion that Netanyahu is confusing his own legal situation with the interests of the state.

— Netanyahu is trapped in a trap from which he cannot escape. He understands that if he stops what he has ignited, he will face a large—scale trial," the expert noted.

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Recall that on June 26, Netanyahu asked for a two-week delay in testifying in the trials against him, explaining the need to solve military problems. On June 29, the Jerusalem court approved the petition and released the prime minister from testifying for a week.

On June 30, the UN Security Council will hold an open meeting on the Middle East, including the "Palestinian issue." It will also be followed by closed consultations. UN Assistant Secretary General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Khaled Khiari will inform the members of the Security Council about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Hamas continues to hold 50 hostages, among them Maxim Kharkin, a native of Donbass. According to Israeli estimates, more than half of the detainees have already died.