Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that his government is exploring “alternative options” to ceasefire talks with Hamas, casting a shadow of doubt over the future of the negotiations. This statement comes after both Israel and the United States recalled their negotiating teams from Qatar, where weeks of indirect talks have struggled to produce a breakthrough.
President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, had previously stated that Hamas’s latest response to the ceasefire proposals showed a “lack of desire” to reach a truce. In a statement released by his office, Netanyahu echoed this sentiment, asserting, “Hamas is the obstacle to a hostage release deal.”
“Together with our U.S. allies, we are now considering alternative options to bring our hostages home, end Hamas’s terror rule, and secure lasting peace for Israel and our region,” Netanyahu’s statement read, without providing further specifics.
In a contradictory move, Hamas official Bassem Naim said negotiations were expected to resume next week and dismissed the recall of the delegations as a pressure tactic. Mediators Egypt and Qatar also confirmed that the pause was temporary, with talks anticipated to resume soon.
The stalled negotiations have occurred against a backdrop of a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. International experts and the United Nations have warned that the region is on the brink of famine, with a recent acceleration in deaths related to malnutrition. An Israeli airstrike on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City on Friday killed at least five people, including an 11-year-old boy, further highlighting the ongoing conflict’s toll on civilians.
The core sticking points in the negotiations remain the fundamental disagreements between the two sides. Hamas has stated it will not release all hostages without a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel, however, insists it will not agree to end the conflict until Hamas is disarmed and no longer in power.
In a separate but significant diplomatic development, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday that France would recognize Palestine as a state, adding to the international pressure on Israel regarding the conflict and the ongoing humanitarian situation. France becomes the first G7 nation to take this step.
