Gaza cease-fire talks underway in Qatar without Hamas in attendance

Hamas representatives were not in attendance, Ghazi Hamad, a member of the group’s diplomatic team, confirmed, after its lead negotiator, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated during a trip to Tehran last month. In public, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its role in the killing of the Hamas leader — though it privately told U.S. officials afterward that it was responsible.

Regional tensions loom large over this new round of diplomacy, as Iran and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group and political party, have vowed to strike Israel in retaliation for Haniyeh’s slaying, as well as that of top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr. But there were indications Thursday that resumed peace talks could delay new attacks from across the Lebanese border.

“We can say that Hezbollah will not launch its retaliation operation during the Qatar talks because the party does not want to be held accountable for obstructing the talks or a potential deal,” said an individual with close ties to Hezbollah, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media. “The retaliation can wait; it is not urgent or has a time limit.”

Hamas says it will reengage with talks if it receives a “clear commitment” from Israel on its latest proposal. Hussam Badran, a member of the militant group’s political wing, said in a statement Thursday that the negotiations must focus on devising a “clear plan” toward implementing the framework for a deal that Hamas agreed to in early July.

The group has informed mediators that it is willing to meet with them after the Thursday session if there are developments, or a serious response from Israel, according to an official familiar with the negotiations who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said Qatari diplomats “have assured us that they will work to have Hamas represented.”

U.S. national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that Thursday’s talks were focused on the “details of the implementation” of a potential deal. He said there “remains a lot of work to do” and that an agreement was not likely to be reached Thursday, with talks expected to continue Friday. “The remaining obstacles can be overcome, and we must bring this process to a close,” he said.

The Gaza Health Ministry said Thursday that the death toll among Palestinians had passed 40,000 people — a grim milestone that underscored the scale of the war’s toll on the enclave. The health authority’s count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but it says the majority of the dead are women and children.

“Do you know what it means to lose 40,000 of your people? It means that 40,000 women, children, young people, adults and elderly people will no longer be there. The children will never grow up. They will never go to school or university. Women will not give birth and will not be there to hold their children,” said Fikr Shalltoot, Gaza director for the Britain-based Medical Aid for Palestinians relief group.

“It means that 40,000 families are grieving, and their hearts are broken.”

Israel launched its assault after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 others to Gaza as hostages. One hundred fifteen remain in the besieged enclave; it is not clear how many are alive.

Families of Israel’s missing have campaigned tirelessly to bring their loved ones home. Ahead of Thursday’s talks, Aviva Siegel, a former Israeli hostage who was freed during a week-long cease-fire in late November, said she was fighting to sustain hope that her husband Keith, a 65-year-old U.S.-Israeli dual citizen expected to qualify for the “humanitarian” release list, will come home.

In a meeting Wednesday with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew, she gave the ambassador “a big hug” and thanked him for the Biden administration’s leadership on the cease-fire talks. But as the agonizing uncertainty mounts, she said she is also “very, very nervous” about the various scenarios that could derail a deal: manipulations by Hamas, or Israeli military operations in Gaza that could harm the hostages or end the negotiations.

Siegel is avoiding reading the news because she’s terrified of negative developments. She instead fantasizes about reuniting with Keith, wondering, “Will I scream or jump on him, will I cry? I’m trying to imagine what he will look like. I lost 10 kilos [22 pounds] after 51 days; will he come back as we know him?”

“The hostage families will break into pieces,” she said. “They have already broken into pieces.”

Israel and Hamas blame each other for the delay in reaching an agreement to end hostilities and return the hostages. Officials familiar with the negotiations have said Hamas’s remaining requests, including how and when Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners would be released, are not viewed as significant roadblocks.

During previous talks, Israel insisted on additions to a framework announced by President Joe Biden on May 31, including its military retaining indefinite control of the Philadelphi Corridor, a buffer zone between Gaza and Egypt, according to officials familiar with the process.

An Israeli official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing negotiations, said Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resolutely stands by the principle that the Israel Defense Forces physically remains in the Philadelphi Corridor, a position that Hamas has resisted in the past.

“It’s their proposal, and it requires compromise on both sides,” Kirby said on MSNBC on Thursday. “Not just one side, but both sides have got to show some leadership here and be willing to nail down these final details. These gaps can be narrowed.”