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Under pressure, talks for a Gaza ceasefire agreement resumed, ending the first day with cautious optimism overshadowed by numerous obstacles and significant gaps between the warring parties.

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According to The Times of Israel, an Israeli mid-level negotiation team held discussions on Friday in Doha with Qatari mediators, who were also hosting Hamas representatives for parallel discussions.

The negotiations had been halted for nearly ten days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recalled the Israeli team from Qatar for internal deliberations on December 25. Since then, optimism for reaching an agreement before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20 has significantly waned.

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Deadlock

A senior Israeli official told Axios that Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked on nearly all negotiated topics, including the presence of Israeli Defense Forces at the Netsarim and Philadelphia crossings, Israel’s demand to deport some released Palestinian prisoners, the sequential release of hostages, and the timeline for starting negotiations on the second phase of the agreement.

He noted that negotiations were progressing very slowly and that it would be clear within a week whether an agreement was achievable. However, the official emphasized, “The team traveled to Doha to finalize the agreement (…). All remaining gaps can be bridged. We want an agreement, and we believe the other side does too.”

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Another official stated that Netanyahu “wants to reach an agreement, but everyone is now essentially waiting for Hamas’s response.”

Points of Disagreement

According to officials cited by Axios, there is “cautious optimism” for a potential agreement in the coming weeks due to mounting pressure on Hamas from Qatari and Egyptian mediators, as well as threats issued by Trump last month.

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One major sticking point is Hamas’s refusal to provide a list of prisoners it intends to release in the first phase of the agreement. This phase is expected to include the release of women, men over 50, and men under 50 suffering from severe medical conditions.

As reported by Axios, Israel presented Hamas with a list of 34 hostages it wants released in the first phase. An Israeli official clarified that while some of the hostages on this list are presumed dead, the goal remains to free as many living hostages as possible.

Hamas claims that a third of the hostages on Israel’s list are men under 50 whom it considers soldiers. Thus, it demands the release of more prisoners, including those convicted of killing Israelis.

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Statements and Positions

In a statement, Hamas said that the ongoing talks in Doha would focus on ensuring a complete cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

However, Netanyahu has refused to commit to a full end to the war, asserting that fighting against Hamas would resume after any agreement and continue until Hamas‘s military and civilian capabilities are destroyed.

Hamas senior official Bassem Naim reiterated in a statement that the movement is serious about reaching an agreement as soon as possible.

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The Israeli delegation sent to Doha included representatives from the army, Mossad, and Shin Bet. Before its departure, Netanyahu held a meeting with top security officials to discuss the delegation’s mandate.

While the mandate approved by Netanyahu was narrower than negotiators had sought, it was sufficient to make additional progress, sources told Channel 12.

Finally, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby praised Netanyahu’s decision to send a negotiation team, calling it “encouraging.” However, he acknowledged that no tangible progress had yet been made in the talks.

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Hamas has once again been accused of bearing responsibility for ending the war by agreeing to a ceasefire and releasing hostages.

It is believed that 96 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 individuals whose deaths have been confirmed by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

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Hamas released 105 civilians during a week-long truce in late November, while four hostages were released earlier. Eight hostages were rescued alive by Israeli forces, and the bodies of 38 hostages were retrieved, including three mistakenly killed by the army during escape attempts.

Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered Gaza in 2014 and 2015, along with the bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed in 2014.

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Potential Restrictions

Channel 12 reported on Friday that Israel is considering imposing significant restrictions on humanitarian aid entering Gaza once Donald Trump assumes office on January 20.

These measures aim to dismantle Hamas’s governing capabilities in Gaza, with Israel claiming the group has managed to maintain control over the territory by seizing much of the humanitarian aid entering the region after 15 months of war.

The Israeli military has warned that military pressure on Hamas without offering a viable political alternative could allow the group to fill any void left by Israeli operations.

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Prime Minister Netanyahu has refused to grant the Palestinian Authority a foothold in Gaza to replace Hamas, despite proposals from allies to assist in rebuilding and stabilizing the region after the conflict.

On Friday, the Israeli military stated it had conducted dozens of airstrikes on Hamas-affiliated targets in Gaza over the past 24 hours.

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reported that more than 40 people were killed on Friday, following 71 deaths reported the previous day, including in al-Mawassi, an area previously declared a safe zone by Israel.

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The IDF claimed to have targeted around 40 Hamas gathering points, as well as command and control centers, while taking measures to minimize harm to civilians, such as using precision munitions and aerial surveillance.

Hamas has been accused of deploying fighters in civilian areas, including buildings previously used as schools, where weapons were allegedly found.

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On Friday, the IDF ordered civilians in the al-Bureij area of central Gaza to evacuate before a planned operation following rocket launches by Hamas. Residents were advised to move to a humanitarian zone for their safety.

Elsewhere, Israeli forces have been battling Hamas fighters entrenched in towns around the northern edge of the territory since last month, according to the IDF.

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