Pessimism on all sides regarding latest US ceasefire plan for Gaza as Hamas raises objections

Israeli sources, as well as officials from the mediating countries, expressed their pessimism regarding the latest effort to reach a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza, while speaking to several news outlets on Monday.

The latest proposal, which was again crafted by White House special envoy Steve Witkoff, is “unlikely” to have success, an Arab mediating source told The Times of Israel.

Meanwhile, an Israeli official told the Jerusalem Post the stipulation that Hamas would have to release all hostages on the first day of the deal is particularly doubtful.

“Hamas won’t give up all the hostages right at the start; it’s simply unrealistic,” an Israeli official told the Post. “The only question we’re currently asking ourselves is whether this dialogue will lead to another round of talks,” he added.

Hours after claiming to have accepted U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand to return to negotiations, Hamas officials said it would be impossible to release all hostages at once, due to the IDF presence in Gaza – in effect, demanding a full withdrawal before freeing the hostages.

According to Israel’s Channel 12, the proposal envisions a gradual withdrawal of the IDF towards the beginning of the ceasefire, and then both parties would have 60 days to reach an agreement over the details of Hamas’ disarmament, a complete withdrawal, and other outstanding issues.

Hamas sources told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat the ceasefire proposal contains “many traps and pitfalls that need to be dismantled, so that the agreement includes fair conditions that meet the demands of all sides – especially ending the war, which is the central issue for Hamas and the Palestinian factions.”

The pessimism comes despite President Trump trying to create the impression of rapid progress with his social media post over the weekend, when he wrote that Israel had already agreed to the deal.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on Monday confirmed that Israel seeks to reach an end to the war in Gaza based on President Trump’s proposal and in accordance with the principles established by the Security Cabinet.

However, a source told the Jerusalem Post that there is “an intense dialogue that didn’t exist a few weeks ago,” arguing this in itself was “an optimistic sign.”

On Monday, Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Witkoff met with Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer in Miami to discuss the latest developments, as well as possible scenarios for the future of the Gaza Strip.

Kushner has recently taken a significant role in this issue, and, together with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, presented ideas for the future of the enclave to Trump, Witkoff and other senior U.S. officials two weeks ago.

Citing two informed sources, Axios reported that Trump approved of the ideas and asked Kushner to formulate a detailed plan.

Another possible source for optimism is a report by Reuters that Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has been pressuring Hamas political leaders to “respond positively” to the proposal.

An Israeli official told Channel 12 that Hamas would need to be convinced that both Egypt and Qatar are fully on board with a comprehensive agreement before signing.

“Hamas has to understand from both Qatar and Egypt that the partial deal path doesn’t exist anymore,” said the official.

However, Yoni Ben Menachem, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, estimated that Hamas is still not serious about the negotiations.

“Hamas is trying to buy time by talking about negotiations, but its objective is clear – to disrupt the conquest of Gaza City,” he said.

“It is already preparing to ignite Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) with suicide bombings, car bombs, and explosive devices.”

He warned that Hamas’ West Bank chief, Zaher al-Jabarin, whom he called “the father of car bombs and explosive belts,” would activate sleeper cells across Judea and Samaria.

“We must defeat Hamas in Gaza quickly so we can turn to the campaign in the West Bank,” said Ben Menachem.