Anti-government and pro-hostage release protests erupted across several Israeli cities on Saturday night, as ceasefire negotiations appeared to have reached an impasse. Israeli officials blamed Hamas’s refusal to compromise for the deadlock.
According to an Israeli official, Jerusalem accepted a Qatari-mediated proposal for a 60-day ceasefire and hostage-release deal. However, Hamas rejected the offer, with the official accusing the group of “refusing to compromise” and obstructing efforts by mediators to move the process forward.
“The Israeli side has shown flexibility in negotiations,” the official said, “while Hamas maintains rigid positions that prevent progress.”
At the center of the stalled talks is a disagreement over the extent and geography of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) redeployment within Gaza. Hamas has reportedly turned down the latest maps presented by Israel, which included provisions for continued Israeli control over about one-third of Gaza during the proposed truce period.
The rejected maps show Israel maintaining a three-kilometer buffer zone in Rafah, intended for the establishment of a so-called “humanitarian city.” The plan would involve relocating Gaza residents to this zone, conducting weapons screenings, and restricting movement — a move critics fear is a step toward forced displacement.
Channel 12 News, citing an unnamed foreign source familiar with the negotiations, reported that Israel plans to submit new redeployment maps on Monday. These will reportedly revise IDF positions along the Morag Corridor and the perimeter of the Gaza Strip.
The outlet earlier reported that Hamas agreed to expand the buffer zone from 700 meters to one kilometer. However, Israel is still demanding that it be expanded to as much as two kilometers.
The deal, if agreed upon, would see the release of 10 living and 18 dead hostages during a 60-day pause in fighting, during which the two sides would discuss an agreement to end the conflict.
Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are still holding 50 hostages, including 49 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023. They include the bodies of at least 28 confirmed dead by the IDF.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 57,000 people have been killed in the Strip since the war there began on October 7, 2023. The Hamas-provided death toll cannot be independently verified and does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
