As negotiations with Hamas hit a wall, Israel and the United States are pivoting away from piecemeal agreements and are now jointly backing a comprehensive framework aimed at ending the war in Gaza, securing the release of all remaining hostages, and disarming Hamas.
“There will be no more partial deals,” a senior Israeli official told reporters Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Israel and the U.S. now agree on the need to shift from a framework for the release of some of the hostages to a framework for the release of all of the hostages, the disarmament of Hamas, and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.”
The official added that both countries would also work to significantly expand humanitarian aid into Gaza, even as Israel presses forward with its military campaign. The comments suggest a notable policy shift for Israel, which until now had advocated for a phased approach, securing the release of small groups of hostages while retaining military pressure on Hamas to maintain domestic political stability.
The move comes amid a collapse in ceasefire negotiations and growing signs of friction between Hamas and its regional allies. Last week, both Israeli and U.S. envoys withdrew from talks in Doha after Hamas rejected the latest phased truce offer. Hamas’s counterproposal demanded limits on Israeli troop movements during a proposed 60-day pause and the release of more Palestinian prisoners in exchange for just over half of the estimated 50 remaining Israeli hostages.
On Thursday, sources involved in the talks told The Times of Israel that Hamas negotiators are refusing to return to the table until conditions improve for Gaza’s civilian population, where famine and medical shortages are spiraling.
Hamas’s stance has increasingly alienated Egypt and Qatar, the two key Arab mediators. Relations have soured in recent days after Hamas’s chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya accused Egypt of worsening Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. The terror group has also expressed fury at Qatar for signing onto a UN-backed declaration earlier this week that called on Hamas to disarm and relinquish power.
“There has been a complete breakdown in contacts,” the Israeli official said during Thursday’s briefing. “Hamas has cut off communication. There is no one to talk to on the other side. This is also [U.S. Special Envoy Steve] Witkoff’s understanding.”
Witkoff was in Jerusalem Thursday for high-level meetings with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and other senior officials. He and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee made a rare visit to Gaza on Friday to assess humanitarian conditions firsthand.
While Washington and Jerusalem continue to publicly agree on the need to eliminate Hamas’s military capabilities, some analysts say Netanyahu’s strategy may be more political than tactical. Critics argue that with Hamas already crippled as a military force, Netanyahu’s insistence on continuing the war risks prolonging the conflict without a clear postwar plan, especially given his refusal to outline who would govern Gaza once Hamas is removed.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum welcomed the apparent shift in Israeli policy, calling for a full and immediate agreement to bring home all remaining captives.
“There is no moral or operational justification for partial, ‘selective’ deals,” the Forum said in a statement. “For months, this failed approach has endangered the hostages and delayed the only solution that can end this nightmare: one comprehensive agreement to bring every hostage home.”
The Forum urged President Trump and envoy Witkoff to act quickly.
“Secure a comprehensive deal that ends the fighting and brings all 50 hostages home for rehabilitation — and the deceased for proper burial,” the statement read.
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