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The latest proposals to bridge the remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas have yet to be finalized. Both Israel and Hamas have expressed pessimism over the prospects for an agreement.
International mediators are finalizing a new proposal to narrow the gaps between Israel and Hamas, U.S. and regional officials said, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists he will not give up control of Gaza’s border with Egypt — a key stumbling point for a cease-fire deal.
Qatar and Egypt have drafted a series of revisions which are being discussed with U.S. officials, according to a senior official from one of the mediating countries and two Israeli officials. David Barnea, director of the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, was in Doha on Monday to discuss the document, the officials said.
The U.S. officials said that they expected to complete the final proposal with Egyptian and Qatari negotiators on Wednesday or Thursday.
All of the officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations because the latest proposals have yet to be finalized. Israeli officials and Hamas leaders have expressed pessimism over the prospects for an agreement, despite rising public fury in Israel over the failure to bring home the remaining hostages held in Gaza.
Even as negotiators have traded ideas to break the deadlock between Israel and Hamas, Mr. Netanyahu gave a fiery speech on Monday, defying critics who have blamed him for not doing enough to reach a deal.
Mr. Netanyahu repeated his longstanding demand that Israel must retain control of the Gazan side of the border with Egypt — known as the Philadelphi Corridor — to prevent Hamas from rearming through cross-border smuggling. The demand is a non-starter for Hamas, which has demanded a complete Israeli withdrawal as a condition for a cease-fire.
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