Hamas said on Monday that it is showing flexibility in talks with mediators and is awaiting the outcome of efforts from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States in negotiations with Israel.
After the Israeli criticism of the Boehler talks with senior Hamas officials, an Israeli source told the Jerusalem Post that "The coordination between us and the Americans on the issue of the hostages' release is complete coordination."
On Sunday, Trump’s envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, gave interviews to several media outlets, including the Post, to explain his meetings with senior Hamas officials. "Our team's opinion is that it's very hard to understand the other side without sitting across from them," Boehler said in the interview with the Post, not ruling out future meetings with senior Hamas officials if it could help advance the release of hostages.
During a Security Cabinet meeting last night, ministers criticized Boehler’s meetings: "The talks he held are harmful to the negotiations." The ministers were updated, according to a source familiar with the details, that despite the "minor crisis," Israel and the U.S. are fully coordinated regarding the talks and that there's an attempt to secure the release of more hostages.
Negotiating delegations
Today, an Israeli delegation is expected to arrive in Qatar for discussions on the deal. The delegation will be headed by "M" from the Shin Bet, Coordinator for Hostages and Missing Persons Gal Hirsch, foreign policy advisor Ophir Falk, along with officials from the IDF and Mossad. Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to join the talks either Tuesday evening or Wednesday.
An Israeli source and a diplomatic source familiar with the details of the negotiations told the Post that they estimate it is possible to reach an agreement on the release of additional hostages, but added, "It will take time."
Israel wants the discussions to be based on Witkoff’s plan, which calls for the release of half of the living hostages and half of the deceased hostages on the first day of a ceasefire that will last 42 days, with the second half released on the last day.