Posted on 04/27/25
| News Source: JPost
Following the visit of Israel's Mossad Director David Barnea to Qatar, an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday that, at present — with emphasis on at present — he sees no chance of bridging the gaps between Israel and Hamas to reach a hostage deal.
"If the positions of Israel and Hamas remain as they are now, then the gaps are unbridgeable for reaching an agreement," the official stated.
Hamas is currently insisting that any deal must include a complete cessation of the war — with guarantees. "From Hamas's perspective, there is no such thing as a temporary ceasefire," said a source familiar with the details of the negotiations.
Israel's position is that it will not agree to end the war unless Hamas is removed from both military and civil governance in Gaza, and the Strip is fully demilitarized.
The Israeli official speaking to the Post added, "It's not that there's no chance for a change — reality could shift things, and that's even likely — but right now the gaps are extremely wide."
On Sunday, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated that "Hamas is willing to release all the hostages in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners, but under conditions that Israel is unlikely to accept."
He also criticized Israel, saying it is focused on the hostages without presenting a clear vision for ending the war. "In this situation, the chances of a deal are low, but we're trying to find broader common ground between the two sides," the Qatari Prime Minister said in Doha, standing alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who later met with senior Hamas officials based in Qatar.
Meanwhile, Arabic media reported that Hamas is prepared to release all the hostages in exchange for a five-year ceasefire with international guarantees.
"This is a recycled proposal that was brought up in the past — but at this time, we have not received any new offer," an Israeli official told the Post.