Hamas no longer demands an all-for-all hostage-for-prisoner swap. Its leaders now talk about ending the war, getting urgently needed humanitarian aid, enabling people to return to their homes or the places where their homes once were and getting Israel out of Gaza. Israel, not only traumatized but also humiliated by the Oct. 7 attack, insists it will stop at nothing to remove Hamas, even — and if you ask some of the more extreme Israeli leaders, especially — if it means reducing all of Gaza to rubble.
Mr. Netanyahu should have sent his top security and intelligence officers to the negotiations and instructed them that no one could leave until white smoke rose from the chimney. He should trust that they understand the security risks that Israel faces and let them act accordingly, in real time, rather than flying back to Israel for consultations with every development, as they have so far apparently been required to do.
I am a strong advocate of direct negotiations. As valuable as third-party mediators — from Qatar or Egypt or anywhere else — are, they necessarily bring their own interests and their own styles. I was told by three different Hamas leaders, one of them from Gaza and two based in Doha, that Hamas is prepared to open a direct back channel, which could enable more creative thinking and lead to more feasible solutions. I delivered that message to the Israeli team but did not receive a positive response. It is possible, of course, that such communications are underway in secret, but to the best of my knowledge that is not the case.
In the second week of the war, in a video call with about 50 families of the hostages, I told them two things: First, the government will tell you to shut up, but don’t! Scream as loud as you can. Tell the public the names of your loved ones. Show their pictures, tell their stories. Second, you will go around the world, you will meet with politicians and activists and journalists, but at the end of the day you will have to put pressure on the Israeli government to return your loved ones. A week ago, a large group of the families stated publicly that Mr. Netanyahu has failed at bringing home the hostages, that he does not want an agreement and that he must step down and allow someone else to get the job done.
Recently, the Egyptians and Qataris reported that new ideas had arisen in the negotiations. There is a spirit of guarded optimism, but negotiations are once again deadlocked. Meanwhile the leaders of Israel’s negotiating team are not present, and it is not clear if the team has been given a new mandate. And the hostages remain in Gaza.