Israeli officials express doubts over new cease-fire proposal in Gaza war

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli officials voiced pessimism Friday about an expected cease-fire proposal designed to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas, as part of ongoing negotiations to secure a hostage exchange and end the conflict in Gaza.

According to Israel’s Public Broadcasting Corporation, government sources indicated that the proposal, expected to be unveiled by the end of the week, is unlikely to meet the demands of either side.

“The forthcoming proposal will not be acceptable to both sides,” said officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Despite efforts to revive stalled negotiations, insiders suggest there has been little movement in changing the entrenched positions of both Israel and Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security meeting with top officials, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, to prepare for the proposal’s release. The discussions reportedly focused on ongoing military operations in Gaza and the Israeli response to the deaths of six hostages whose bodies were recovered from a tunnel in Rafah last week.

For months, the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt have been working to broker a cease-fire and a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas. However, mediation efforts have been stymied by Israel's refusal to halt its military campaign in Gaza without concrete concessions from Hamas.

Israel's military offensive has continued since Hamas launched a deadly attack on Oct. 7, despite international pressure, including a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

Nearly 40,900 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed, and over 94,000 others have been injured in the conflict, according to local health authorities. The ongoing blockade of Gaza has exacerbated shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, leaving much of the enclave in ruins.

Israel is facing accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice over its actions in Gaza.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara