ALBAWABA - Gershon Baskin, who was a key negotiator in the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner swap, shared new behind-the-scenes information on Sunday about the continuing talks between Israel and Hamas to end the fighting and free the hostages.
Baskin wrote on X (which used to be Twitter) that the head of Hamas's bargaining team had sent him a direct message. The message said that Israel kept turning down a deal to free all the hostages in exchange for ending the war for good, choosing instead to make partial deals that show they want to keep fighting.
Baskin says the message said, "The hostage issue does not appear to be a central concern for the Israeli public."
The Hamas mediator is also said to have said that the group is ready to let a skilled, independent body run Gaza after the war. He or she also made it clear that Hamas would not be a part of this government.
What Netanyahu is doing and how the US is involved
Baskin said that U.S. President Donald Trump has been persuaded by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to put off signing a complete deal. Netanyahu is said to have said that pulling out of Gaza completely would let Hamas take back control, steal aid, and build up its forces, which is an excuse used to keep troops in the Strip.
Baskin says Trump agreed with this argument and agreed to put off any deal until after July 28, when the Knesset goes on vacation for three months. People see this move as a way to keep Netanyahu's weak alliance together until at least October.
Setbacks have happened in the talks in Doha, which are being led by Qatari, Egyptian, and U.S. officials. Baskin said that Israel sent Hamas relocation plans that they knew they would be turned down, especially ones that showed control over the Morag passage, which is a key area between Khan Younis and Rafah.
He also said that Israel lied to the U.S. about how the "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation" worked, and that it is not helping more than two million people who have been forced to leave their homes. Israel is also pushing for a controversial "humanitarian camp" in Khan Younis, which has been criticized around the world for being cruel and illegal.
The biggest problem is still Israel's armed presence in Gaza after the truce. Israel wants to keep control of some areas because it has strategic reasons to do so, but Hamas wants Israel to leave all areas that were reoccupied after March 2.
Channel 12 says that Israel is getting ready to submit new pullout plans after being told by Qatari officials that the old plans could have ended the talks completely.
Even though talks were still going on, no real progress was made over the weekend. The two sides still have different ideas about how far Israel should pull out, especially in the Morag area.
