The indirect talks led by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States collapsed in early August after Hamas sent what mediators described as a largely negative response to a draft 60-day cease-fire. Under the proposal, Israel would pause operations, facilitate larger aid deliveries, and release several hundred Palestinian prisoners in exchange for roughly half of the 50 Israeli hostages still alive in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed receipt of Hamas’s reply on July 24th and soon signaled that the gaps were “too wide to bridge.” U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff left Doha the next day, telling reporters that Hamas “isn’t serious.” Israel’s war cabinet interpreted the response as proof the group will not surrender its control of Gaza or disarm, two non-negotiable Israeli conditions.
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