The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is at a standstill as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump both believe that Hamas has no goodwill to negotiate.
On July 25, Mr. Netanyahu said Israel was considering an alternative option to bring the hostages back to the country and end Hamas control in Gaza.
At the same time, Israeli and US delegations withdrew from the negotiation round in Qatar, shortly after Hamas responded to the ceasefire proposal. Although Israel initially said the withdrawal was for internal consultations only, Netanyahu's later statements showed that Israel's stance had become tougher.
Hamas has called the negotiations constructive and criticized US special envoy Steve Witkoff's statement, saying he is putting pressure on behalf of Israel. Senior Hamas official Basem Naim said the Hamas proposal was likely to lead to an agreement if Israel truly intended to negotiate.
Qatar and Egypt - the two intermediaries - affirmed that there has been some progress and will continue to work with the US to reach an agreement.
The current proposal includes a 60-day ceasefire, an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza and a Prisoner exchange between the two sides. However, the biggest disagreement is still Israel's withdrawal and a long-term plan if an agreement cannot be reached after the suspension period.
Internally, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir welcomed Netanyahu's tough stance, calling for a complete end to aid and the occupation of entire Gaza.
In that context, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is at an alarming level. The local health organization announced that 9 more people died from malnutrition within 24 hours. Many international organizations confirmed that hunger is spreading among a population of 2.2 million people, with depleted supply. The United Nations said that special foods to save the lives of severely malnourished children are also about to expire.
Meanwhile, the fighting continues. The Israeli airstrikes killed at least 21 people in one day, including a journalist who died in a child shelter. Israel denies targeting reporters on purpose.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led gunmen attacked the border area of Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Gaza says nearly 60,000 people have been killed since then.
