Even as negotiators work to bridge the gap between the two sides, Israel and Hamas appear to have drifted further apart.

Israel and Hamas have proposed two completely different approaches to the peace deal. While Israel said the war in the Gaza Strip would not end until the hostages were freed, Hamas said the hostages would not be released until the war ended.

After being stuck for months
The maximalist demands of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the hardening of Hamas’s position, talks resumed last month following the assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Israel hopes that a series of military successes in recent months and continued military pressure on Hamas will lead to a favorable agreement.

No agreement on hostages before end of war, says Hamas

Hamas’ interim leader in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, said Wednesday that there would be no release of hostages until Israel ends the war on its side.

Under all proposals put forward, hostages held by Hamas should be released instead of the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Hayya said such an exchange was not possible until the end of the war.

“Without the end of the war, there can be no exchange of prisoners…” If the aggression does not end, why would the resistance and in particular Hamas return the prisoners (hostages)? How could a sane or insane person lose a strong card they have while the war continues? Hayya said in a television interview, according to Reuters.

Israel wants hostages freed first

While Hamas first wants to end the war, Israel has said its offensive will not stop until the hostages are freed.

Throughout the conflict, Israel maintained that the release of the hostages and the destruction of Hamas, at least as far as Gaza’s leaders were concerned, were the basis for any ceasefire in the ongoing war.

In June, shortly after
US President Joe Biden announced a ceasefire proposal endorsed by IsraelNetanyahu said that whatever the proposal, there would be no ceasefire until the goals of the war were achieved.

“The conditions imposed by Israel to end the war have not changed: the destruction of Hamas’s military and government capabilities, the release of all hostages and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel,” he said. Netanyahu.

US approves ceasefire only with release of hostages

The United States also said the release of the hostages must form the basis of any ceasefire agreement.

The United States vetoed a ceasefire call at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Wednesday, because the proposal did not provide for the release of the hostages in accordance with the terms of the ceasefire.

In a statement after the veto, U.S. Special Political Affairs Representative Robert Wood said the United States “made it clear throughout the negotiations that we could not support a ceasefire.” unconditional who would not succeed in freeing the hostages.

Wood noted that the UN had already recognized the need to release the hostages. He said that if a resolution for an unconditional ceasefire was adopted, Hamas would have received a very empowering message.

Wood said: “Simply put, this resolution would have sent a dangerous message to Hamas: there is no need to return to the negotiating table. Hamas reportedly saw this as a justification for its cynical strategy, hoping and praying that the international community would forget the fate of more than 100 hostages, from more than 20 member states, who have been detained for 410 days. We must not allow this to happen. Never.”

Wood added that the proposal did not condemn Hamas. He added that Israel had said it was ready for a temporary ceasefire in lieu of the release of some hostages, but that Hamas had not accepted this.

For its part, Hamas continues to maintain that Netanyahu is the reason a ceasefire has not been reached.

“Contacts are underway with certain countries and mediators to relaunch this issue (negotiation). We are ready to continue these efforts, but it is more important to see a real desire on the part of the occupation to put an end to the aggression. Reality proves that it is Netanyahu who is undermining the negotiations,” Hayya said.