PNN – Israeli and American officials involved in negotiations for the release of the hostages and a Gaza ceasefire told the American website Axios that there is little chance of an agreement being reached before Trump takes office.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, Trump threatened that if Hamas does not release the “Gaza hostages” by January 20, 2025, “Hell will start in the Middle East.”
It is not clear what Trump means by “raising hell”. A source close to the president-elect told Axios that there are no plans to do so if Trump’s deadline passes.
Some Israeli officials believe that if no deal is reached, the incoming president could support Israeli actions that the Biden administration opposed, such as limiting humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
US and Israeli officials have stated that Trump’s threats do not seem to have affected Hamas’s military leader in Gaza, Mohammad Sanwar, the brother of assassinated Hamas leader Yahya Sanwar.
However, a US source with direct knowledge of the talks said there was still a possibility of an agreement in the next three weeks.
American and Israeli officials have announced that if the negotiations do not reach a conclusion by January 20, their resumption in the Trump administration will probably be delayed for several months.
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100 hostages are still in the hands of Hamas in Gaza, 7 of them are Americans. About half of the hostages, including three Americans, are still alive, according to Israeli intelligence.
Israeli negotiators returned from Doha earlier this week after eight days of talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt that did not lead to progress.
CIA Director Bill Burns and Middle East Representative Brett McGurk, who were in Doha last week for several days, returned to Washington with doubts about the possibility of reaching an agreement before January 20.
On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas accused each other of obstructing the agreement. While it is negotiating seriously, Israel has made unacceptable new demands, Hamas said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Hamas is lying and is actually “backing out of agreements that have already been reached.”
Israeli officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations said both sides were right.
While progress was made in Doha last week, fundamental issues remain unresolved, such as whether any deal would include an end to the war and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
An Israeli official told Axios that the talks had reached an impasse, with both sides wanting to break the deadlock but reluctant to make major concessions.