As Netanyahu heads to Washington, Israel sends only a mid-level delegation to Qatar talks and no deal is likely to be announced. Hamas demands are called “deal-breakers” as Israel insists on dismantling of Hamas terror rule; PM to present firm line in DC meetings.
With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu preparing for a critical visit to Washington this week, Israel has firmly rejected several amendments proposed by Hamas to the latest ceasefire and hostage release framework. According to Israeli officials, the modifications introduced by the terror group are “not serious,” amount to a reversal of progress, and threaten to derail what could have been the first meaningful breakthrough toward ending the war.
At the heart of the rejection is Hamas’s refusal to accept Israel’s core condition: that any deal must ultimately result in the destruction of Hamas as a ruling authority in Gaza. “Israel is not negotiating for a temporary pause,” one senior official said on Sunday evening. “We are negotiating for victory — the return of all hostages, and the end of Hamas rule, military and civilian.”
What Are the Hamas Amendments?
While the original draft was based on a phased framework — starting with a 6-week ceasefire, hostage releases, IDF withdrawals, and eventual negotiations for a permanent end to the conflict — Hamas introduced sweeping changes that radically alter the agreement’s trajectory:
- Removal of the clause allowing Israel to resume military operations if talks break down
- Demand for guarantees that IDF troops will withdraw fully from Gaza in 60 days, regardless of hostage release progress
- Refusal to discuss exile or criminal accountability for senior Hamas leadership
- Insistence on total reconstruction and lifting of blockade without demilitarization
- Restoration of full Hamas control in postwar governance arrangements
These revisions not only undermine the goals of Israel’s ongoing military campaign but, in the words of a Mossad-linked assessment, “represent Hamas’s attempt to turn a conditional truce into de facto surrender by Israel.”
Netanyahu’s office made clear that “Israel will not accept a deal that allows Hamas to regroup, rearm, or return to power in any form.” He reiterated on Sunday, “I will not leave Hamas in power. I will not leave them alive. Our war aims remain unchanged.”
Why Israel Deems Them Unacceptable
The rejection is rooted in hard-learned lessons from past withdrawals and ceasefires. In 2011, Israel traded over 1,000 terrorists for a single Israeli soldier, only to see several of those freed return to terror leadership roles. In 2021 and 2022, temporary “understandings” with Hamas led to cycles of rocket fire.
Today, with over 52 Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, and roughly 20 believed to be alive, the pressure to secure a deal is immense — but Israel insists that any agreement must serve the war’s strategic objectives, not subvert them.
Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized that Hamas’s proposed edits “would ensure their survival and restore their rule,” adding, “That is not an option. Israel is not withdrawing under fire or under pressure. We will continue operations until Hamas is defeated.”
Israeli military sources point to the importance of maintaining leverage. A unilateral withdrawal or ceasefire would “signal weakness and reward delay,” while any real deal must include, at minimum, a timeline for Hamas leadership exile and full hostage accounting.
Netanyahu Heads to DC: Unbending, but Strategic
Netanyahu’s impending trip to Washington, his first since President Donald Trump’s return to office, is expected to be a high-stakes diplomatic balancing act.
Trump has signaled openness to a “final deal” to end the war, telling reporters, “It’s time to get the hostages home and put Gaza on a path to prosperity — without Hamas, of course.” While broadly aligned with Israel’s goals, Trump is expected to press Netanyahu on timing, humanitarian relief, and a postwar vision.
Israeli sources indicate that Netanyahu intends to present a unified message: Israel is willing to pause, but not to concede. “The ball is in Hamas’s court,” said a senior diplomatic official. “If they want the deal, they need to come back with terms that meet the framework. If not, the IDF will continue to dismantle them piece by piece.”
Netanyahu is expected to meet with Trump, Congressional leaders, and pro-Israel advocacy groups while in Washington. His team has been quietly preparing briefing papers emphasizing Hamas’s duplicity, war crimes, and rejectionist ideology, as well as the need for continued Western support in dismantling the Iranian-funded terror network.
Next Steps: Return to Fire or Rewriting the Deal?
If Hamas fails to revise its position, Israeli officials say they are prepared to “increase pressure significantly,” including renewed operations in central Gaza and targeted action against remaining senior Hamas figures — especially in Rafah and the humanitarian zones where leadership may be hiding.
The IDF maintains that its operational readiness remains high, and further hostage rescue operations — such as the June raid that freed four captives — are on the table.
“If there is no deal, there will be war,” one senior officer warned. “And that war will end not with a truce, but with Hamas gone.”
In Washington, Netanyahu’s mission will be to ensure that the world understands this is not about revenge or land — but about survival, justice, and the future of the region. There is no return to October 6.
None of Hamas’ demands should be even remotely acceptable to Israel, and the US gov’t needs to GET that an “end” to this war may not be possible, ’til Hamas is wiped out entirely, and ALL “Palestinians” evicted from Israel! It’s past time to STOP playing their game, and get serious for wht ISRAEL needs! The land is Yhvh God’s, “deeded” to the children of Yakov in perpetuity, not converts, not invaders, not squatters, and it may neither be given nor sold to others, under the covenant rules. It’s not Trump’s option to declare an”end”, this is NOT the nation he was elected to govern; that’s up to Israel’s gov’t to decide!