Negotiations back on? Israeli delegation and Witkoff expected in Qatar for talks this week

After the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement on Saturday evening, announcing the sending of a delegation to Doha, Qatar to participate in renewed hostage-ceasefire negotiations, Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, is also expected to join the discussions. 

“Israel has accepted the invitation of the mediators backed by the U.S., and will send a delegation to Doha on Monday in an effort to advance the negotiations,” the statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) read. 

Israel has refused to send a negotiating team over the past few weeks due to Hamas’ unwillingness to extend the first phase of the ceasefire agreement and release additional hostages. 

Last week, the PMO released a statement announcing that Israel would adopt a framework for a temporary ceasefire extension during the Ramadan and Passover period as put forward by Witkoff. 

That proposal would have seen half of the living and dead hostages released at the beginning of the extension, with the other half of living and dead hostages being released upon the conclusion of a permanent ceasefire agreement. 

After Hamas announced their rejection of the proposal, Israel halted the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. 

Shortly after that, Witkoff delayed his expected Middle East trip, apparently due to the lack of negotiations with both Israel and Hamas sticking to their positions. 

Egypt, in an attempt to restart negotiations together with a counter-proposal for the rebuilding of Gaza, proposed a two-week ceasefire extension with the release of an additional 6 hostages, 3 living and 3 dead. That proposal was also rejected by Hamas. 

On Wednesday, following news that the United States had been engaged in secret direct talks with Hamas over the release of the hostages, President Trump issued another ultimatum to Hamas, saying, “Release all of the hostages now – not later – and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you.”

On Saturday, after Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanua said the group had seen “positive indicators” toward an extension during talks with Qatari and Egyptian mediators, sources in the  Israeli government denied any progress had been made. 

However, early on Sunday morning, following the announcement of the delegation’s upcoming departure, Israel’s public broadcaster Kan reported that progress had been made, following talks led by Trump's envoy, Adam Boehler, with senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya. 

Meanwhile, the Saudi news channel Al-Hadath reported on Saturday night that Hamas has agreed to the American initiative, which proposes extending the first phase of the hostage deal in exchange for the release of several living hostages, referring apparently to the so-called Witkoff proposal. 

This information came together with a report in Axios that Witkoff himself is planning to travel to Doha, Qatar on Tuesday to join the negotiations. 

As of Sunday morning, humanitarian aid is still being held up at the Gaza border crossings.