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DOHA: Mediators have been shuttling between Israeli and Hamas negotiators since July 6 as they scramble to end nearly two years of war in Gaza where fears of mass starvation are growing.
Through 21 months of fighting both sides have clung to long-held positions preventing two short-lived truces being converted into a lasting ceasefire.
The stakes are higher now with growing numbers of malnutrition deaths in the Palestinian territory casting a spotlight Israel’s refusal to allow in more aid.
With pressure for a breakthrough mounting, Washington said top envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Europe this week for talks on a Gaza ceasefire and aid corridor.
US officials said he might head on to the Middle East.
As the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorates drastically, are the two sides closer to reaching an agreement?
After more than two weeks of back and forth, efforts by mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States are at a standstill.
The proposal on the table involves a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 10 living hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas insists any agreement must include guarantees for a lasting end to the war.
Israel rejects any such guarantees, insisting that Hamas must give up its capacity to fight or govern as a prerequisite for peace.
“The cold hard truth is that for domestic political considerations neither (Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu nor Hamas leaders in Gaza have an interest in seeing a swift outcome and a comprehensive ceasefire,” said Karim Bitar, a lecturer in Middle Eastern studies at Paris’s Sciences Po university.
“Both would have to answer serious questions from their own constituencies,” he added.
While Israeli officials have said they are open to compromise, troops have expanded their operations this week into areas of Gaza that had largely been spared any ground offensives since the war began in October 2023.
Israeli media have reported that Hamas negotiators in Doha have been unable to communicate directly with the military leadership in Gaza to approve Israeli pullback maps.
Logistical issues compound existing rifts within the militant group.
There are “technical aspects which are quite difficult to overcome because there is a growing disconnect between Hamas leadership in Gaza and the negotiators in Doha,” Bitar said.
For Andreas Krieg, a Middle East analyst at King’s College London, “the talks are technically progressing, but in practical terms, they are approaching a stalemate.”
“What is on the table now is effectively just another prisoner swap deal, not a real ceasefire deal,” he said.
Hamas faces a dilemma: it is under pressure to secure some Israeli concessions but “on the other hand, it faces an increasingly desperate humanitarian situation.”
“The leadership may be debating how far it can compromise without appearing to surrender politically,” he said.
More than two million people in Gaza are facing severe food shortages, with more than 100 NGOs warning of “mass starvation.”
On Tuesday, the head of Gaza’s largest hospital said 21 children died of malnutrition and starvation in three days.
“Humanitarian pressure is mounting fast,” Krieg said, with Hamas facing “rising desperation among the population, which could force it to accept an interim deal to alleviate suffering.”
But even if Hamas makes concessions, Israel has the upper hand and there can be no lasting ceasefire unless it wants one.
“Unless the United States and Qatar... increase significantly their pressure on Israel, I am afraid that this round of negotiations will fail like the previous rounds,” Bitar said.

JERUSALEM: Agence France-Presse called on Israel on Tuesday to allow the immediate evacuation of its freelance contributors and their families from the Gaza Strip, citing worsening living conditions and escalating risks to their safety.
In a statement, the French news agency said its freelancers faced an “appalling situation” in Gaza. A 21-month war with Israel has devastated the territory, a conflict triggered by Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel in October 2023.
“For months, we have been witnessing, powerless, the dramatic deterioration of their living conditions,” AFP said, adding that the situation had become untenable despite the “exemplary courage, professional commitment and resilience” of its local team.
The management statement came after AFP’s journalists’ association issued its own statement saying colleagues in Gaza risked dying of hunger.
AFP said it had succeeded in evacuating eight staff members and their families from Gaza between January and April 2024, after months of effort. It is now seeking to secure safe passage for its freelance Palestinian reporters, despite “the extreme difficulty of leaving a territory under strict blockade.”
The Israeli military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the AFP statement.
Israel has barred international journalists from entering Gaza since October 7, 2023. AFP said the work of its Palestinian freelancers remained crucial to informing the world, but said they now had to leave because of the risk to their lives.
Reuters also works with freelance journalists in Gaza.
“Reuters is deeply concerned about the health and safety of its freelancers in Gaza, with whom we are in daily contact. The extreme difficulty sourcing food is leading to their and all Gaza residents experiencing greater levels of hunger and illness,” a Reuters spokesperson said. “We are providing our contributors with additional financial support to help them and, should they wish to leave the territory, we will provide any assistance possible to help them get out.”