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Israeli Delegation Will Return to Qatar Only When Deal Is Feasible - Israeli Officials

Following a pivotal meeting overnight with international mediators who had come from talks with Hamas representatives, the Israeli delegation returned to Israel early Thursday morning, July 24, for consultations after over two weeks of high-stakes negotiations in Doha.

The Israeli negotiating team will leave Qatar to continue consultations on the ceasefire proposal in Israel, in light of Hamas's response on Thursday morning, the Prime Minister's Office said. US special envoy Steve Witkoff later added: “We have decided to bring our team home from Doha for consultations after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.”

"While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith. We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza," Witkoff said. "It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way. We are resolute in seeking an end to this conflict and a permanent peace in Gaza."

The meeting, which took place shortly after 2:30 a.m. local time, saw mediators present Hamas’s official response to Israel’s latest proposal – a plan submitted more than a week ago aimed at reaching a comprehensive hostage and ceasefire deal. While some early progress had been made on select issues, significant gaps remain, an Israeli official confirmed.

“We studied Hamas’s reply in depth,” the official said. “The delegation held internal consultations and spoke directly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It was decided that the delegation should return to Israel to assess how best to narrow the gaps.”

Despite the return of the delegation, Israeli officials emphasized that the move does not signal a breakdown of talks.

“This is not the collapse of the negotiations,” the official stressed. “This delegation stayed in Doha for over two and a half weeks – longer than any previous Israeli team. We've reached a stage where further progress requires consultation at home.”

According to Israeli assessments, the response delivered by Hamas “does not allow for continued progress unless there is movement in their positions.” The official added, “As things stand, it’s not in our area code.”

Jerusalem is now expected to engage in further discussions with Qatari, Egyptian, and US mediators in an effort to identify creative ways to bridge the current divides.

“Israel is committed to continuing contacts even after the delegation’s return,” the source said. “We are not walking away from the table.” The official anticipates that the delegation will return to Qatar once a viable path forward toward finalizing a deal is established.

(JPost/VFI News)

“Dear Abba, we pray and ask that You would bring the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and an end to the war. We acknowledge that some situations have no human solution, especially when dealing with terrorists, and we ask for Your miraculous power to act in this hopeless situation. We thank You for hearing our prayers and answering them according to Your will. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.”