US-Hamas contact adds a new layer of friction to ceasefire talks in Doha, as Israel delays agreed withdrawals.
A new round of negotiations aimed at resolving the Gaza ceasefire deadlock is set to begin in Doha on Tuesday, with US envoy Steve Witkoff expected to attend. Meanwhile, tensions are reportedly emerging in Israel over the US administration’s engagement with Hamas.
According to the US website Axios, Witkoff “is expected to travel to Doha on Tuesday evening”.
Citing an Israeli official, Axios reported that Witkoff aims “to get all the parties in one place for several days of intense negotiations in an effort to reach a deal.”
However, “it is unclear if he is going to meet with Hamas officials or only with Israeli negotiators and Qatari and Egyptian mediators,” the report added.
Earlier, an Israeli delegation, including representatives from the Shin Bet, Mossad, the military, and the coordinator of prisoner affairs, arrived in Doha for the talks.
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Israel has stalled progress on the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, refusing to honor key terms such as withdrawing from the Philadelphi Corridor along the Palestinian-Egyptian border. Additionally, Israel has halted aid deliveries and cut off electricity to Gaza.
US Contact with Hamas
As Israel imposes conditions for the next phase of the ceasefire, American negotiators are seeking a broader settlement that could involve a new agreement.
On Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Adam Boehler, the US envoy for hostage affairs, engaged in direct communication with Hamas, stating that it happened on a single occasion.
Previously, in an interview with CNN on Saturday, Boehler emphasized that the US is not acting on behalf of Israel but pursuing its own interests.
“We’re the United States. We’re not an agent of Israel. We have specific interests at play, and we did communicate back and forth,” he said.
Additionally, in an interview with the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (KAN), Boehler said that Hamas proposed a broad prisoner exchange and a ceasefire lasting between five and ten years, during which it would refrain from military or political actions.
He described the proposal as promising and indicated that achieving a long-term truce in Gaza remains feasible, though the release of captives could take weeks.
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Israeli Backlash
Within Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, frustration is mounting over the US administration’s engagement with Hamas.
The Wall Street Journal cited Israeli officials expressing concern that Netanyahu cannot afford to challenge the Trump administration, as doing so could strain Israel’s relationship with its primary arms supplier. Officials also warned that this rift could destabilize Netanyahu’s governing coalition.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Israeli officials were particularly angered by Boehler’s statement that Hamas is willing to disarm. Some accused him of making concessions to Hamas that Israel would ultimately have to accommodate.
According to the WSJ, far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told Israeli Army Radio on Monday that Boehler “ sought to conduct negotiations to free American hostages on his own accord,” calling the move “an utter mistake.”
The report also cited Avi Dichter, Israel’s agriculture minister, as saying that Boehler showed a lack of understanding of Hamas’ “ideology or (…) strategy”.
According to the report, however, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cannot openly disagree with the Trump administration.
“Any disagreement with the Trump administration carries risks for Netanyahu’s position in the negotiations with Hamas, his relationship with the country’s main weapons supplier and his ability to hold together a governing coalition that depends on right-wingers who are opposed to a deal,” the WSJ emphasized.
Hamas Criticizes Israeli Violations
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas has condemned Israel’s refusal to abide by the ceasefire agreement and adhere to the agreed-upon withdrawal timeline.
In a statement issued Monday, Hamas accused Israel of failing to reduce its military presence in the Philadelphi Corridor as required in the first phase of the agreement.
Israel was supposed to begin withdrawing forces on the 42nd day of the agreement and complete the withdrawal by the 50th day— a deadline that passed on Monday.
Hamas called this a blatant violation and an attempt to undermine the agreement.
Meanwhile, Israel has kept the Karam Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing closed for ten consecutive days, halting the entry of humanitarian aid, medical supplies, and fuel into Gaza.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that the ongoing suspension of aid, including the cutoff of electricity and the only water desalination facility in Gaza, risks triggering a severe humanitarian crisis.
(PC, Axios, WSJ)
