Following a pivotal meeting overnight with international mediators who had come from talks with Hamas representatives, the Israeli delegation returned to Israel early Thursday morning for consultations after over two weeks of high-stakes negotiations in Doha.
The Israeli negotiating team will leave Qatar to continue consultations on the ceasefire proposal in Israel, in light of Hamas's response on Thursday morning, the Prime Minister's Office said.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff later added: “We have decided to bring our team home from Doha for consultations after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.
"While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith. We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.
"It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way. We are resolute in seeking an end to this conflict and a permanent peace in Gaza,” Witkoff concluded.
The meeting, which took place shortly after 2:30 a.m. local time, saw mediators present Hamas’s official response to Israel’s latest proposal – a plan submitted more than a week ago aimed at reaching a comprehensive hostage and ceasefire deal.
While some early progress had been made on select issues, significant gaps remain, an Israeli official confirmed.
“We studied Hamas’s reply in depth,” the official said. “The delegation held internal consultations and spoke directly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It was decided that the delegation should return to Israel to assess how best to narrow the gaps.”
Despite the return of the delegation, Israeli officials emphasized that the move does not signal a breakdown of talks.
“This is not the collapse of the negotiations,” the official stressed. “This delegation stayed in Doha for over two and a half weeks – longer than any previous Israeli team. We've reached a stage where further progress requires consultation at home.”
According to Israeli assessments, the response delivered by Hamas “does not allow for continued progress unless there is movement in their positions.” The official added, “As things stand, it’s not in our area code.”
Jerusalem is now expected to engage in further discussions with Qatari, Egyptian, and US mediators in an effort to identify creative ways to bridge the current divides.
“Israel is committed to continuing contacts even after the delegation’s return,” the source said.
“We are not walking away from the table.” The official anticipates the delegation will return to Qatar once there is a viable path forward toward finalizing a deal.
The official added that the Israeli government remains focused on the return of the hostages held by Hamas since October 7.
“Israel entered these negotiations with the assumption that Hamas was interested in a deal,” the official added.
“Our representatives were never naïve – they were realistic. There is a genuine effort underway, and we believe the gaps can still be closed.”
Hamas's response: Renewed demands on war guarantees, prisoner releases, aid
In the response Hamas delivered to Israel, the group reasserted its demand for an explicit guarantee that the war will not resume even if no agreement is reached after the proposed 60-day ceasefire period, according to two sources familiar with the details.
“Trump had said that if negotiations on ending the war take place, they would continue beyond the 60 days,” an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post, “but now Hamas is demanding a formal guarantee that the war will, in effect, come to a full stop.”
In addition, Hamas is demanding the release of 200 prisoners serving life sentences and 2,000 others arrested in Israel after October 7. By contrast, the current Israeli proposal includes the release of 125 prisoners serving extended life sentences and 1,100 additional prisoners.
According to the two sources, Hamas also submitted renewed demands on humanitarian issues, despite those matters having been largely agreed upon.
Hamas is now insisting that only the United Nations, and not the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), be responsible for distributing humanitarian aid. The group is also demanding the opening of the Rafah crossing for both humanitarian aid and the entry of civilians.
Regarding security maps and territorial arrangements, Hamas has agreed to a security perimeter of 800 meters in populated areas of Gaza, and 1,000 meters in unpopulated zones.
Sources involved in the negotiations told the Post that “the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the pressure being placed on Israel over the issue, ultimately gives Hamas less incentive to show flexibility because they know ‘Israel is on the hot seat.’”
A senior Hamas source told Reuters on Thursday that there was still a chance of reaching a Gaza ceasefire agreement, but it would take a few days because of what he called Israeli stalling.
The source said Hamas' response to the latest ceasefire proposal included requesting a clause that would prevent Israel from resuming the war if an agreement was not reached within the 60-day truce period.
Reuters contributed to this report.