Israel submits updated hostage deal proposal to Hamas at end of Cairo talks

Mid-level delegation traveled to Egypt last Sunday

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The Israeli negotiation team will return home from the Egyptian capital of Cairo after drafting and submitting an updated hostage deal proposal, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced Tuesday.

The delegation comprised of mid-level officials from the Mossad, the IDF, and the Shin Bet returns “at the conclusion of an additional intensive round of negotiations,” per the statement.

“In the framework of the talks, under useful Egyptian mediation, the mediators formulated an updated proposal for Hamas. Israel expects the mediators to take vigorous action regarding Hamas to advance the negotiations toward a deal,” the statement continued.

The statement, which openly commends Egypt while subtly urging Qatar to apply more pressure on Hamas, reflects growing Israeli impatience with Qatar's reluctance to compel Hamas towards compromise, according to the Times of Israel.

The mid-level Israeli delegation traveled to Cairo on Sunday for talks with the Egyptian negotiators to try and find a new proposal to force Hamas to return to the negotiating table, after the latest round of talks in Qatar broke down last week, despite far-reaching Israeli concessions.

“There is seriousness and practicality in the talks but it remains to be seen if Hamas is interested in moving forward,” an Israeli source told Kan News.

The failure of the latest talks fueled a renewed wave of protests against the Israeli government, which also saw some clashes with the police.

Several hostage families joined left-wing protest movements in accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of not caring enough about the hostages to reach a deal, and calling for his resignation.

Netanyahu defended his decision to break off the talks in a press briefing on Sunday.

“Hamas is demanding the cancellation of the corridor and the unsupervised return of Gazans – including Hamas terrorists – to the northern Strip.”

“These demands by Hamas have security ramifications that I will not detail here. The claim that if we agree to more and more concessions every two days, that this will lead to a deal, is the opposite of the truth. Such an approach in the negotiations will not bring release closer but push it further away,” Netanyahu added.

Despite this, Israeli media reported that Netanyahu had broadened the guidelines for the Cairo delegation, seemingly allowing them to present an updated proposal that includes even greater concessions.