ISTANBUL
As a new round of Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap talks is set to start in Egypt this week, discussions have once again centered on the various negotiation stages and timelines between Israel and Hamas, facilitated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US.
This renewed focus follows the conclusion of the last round of talks in Qatar last week between Israeli negotiators and Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators. Hamas did not participate in this round of the talks.
Hamas and other Palestinian factions have demanded that Israel adhere to previously agreed-upon terms based on a proposal backed by US President Joe Biden and establish mechanisms for its implementation rather than carrying on negotiations while attacks continue.
Biden said in May that Israel presented a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave. The plan includes a cease-fire, a hostage-prisoner exchange and the reconstruction of Gaza. Israel, meanwhile, has maintained its commitment to what it calls the “principles” of May 27.
The May 27 principles, according to Egyptian sources familiar with the negotiations, refer to an Israeli draft proposal submitted to mediators.
Conversely, the July 2 framework that Hamas supports is a draft agreement rooted in Biden-backed proposal, to which the movement responded positively through the mediators.
According to a well-informed Egyptian source, the Israeli proposal includes provisions for maintaining military presence in certain areas of Gaza, extending the duration of the conflict without a fixed timeline, and insisting on continuing the war.
These principles were later refined and presented by Biden in a broader outline on May 31.
The source said the July 2 framework was based on Biden's proposal that was followed by Israeli conditions, ultimately preventing a final agreement.
“As such, neither the May 27 proposal nor the July 2 framework serves as a definitive basis for negotiations, with mediators agreeing that Biden's proposal remains the foundation for the ongoing talks,” the source said.
Since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza on Oct.7, 2023, there has been only a week-long cease-fire, brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US in November.
Throughout the past ten months, negotiations for a cease-fire and prisoner exchange deal have undergone multiple rounds across key capitals – Paris, Cairo, Doha, and Rome – resulting in four major proposals for a potential agreement, according to a timeline compiled by Anadolu.
The timeline details the key negotiation milestones, highlighting the significant proposals and talks that have taken place since November 2023.
Nov. 24, 2023: 1st humanitarian pause
Mediators announced the conclusion of a four-day humanitarian pause, with the possibility of extension, which was agreed upon by both Hamas and Israel.
After two days, the pause was implemented and extended for additional two days. This resulted in the release of 109 Israeli hostages and 240 Palestinian prisoners, as well as the entry of additional aid into Gaza. However, the pause ended, and Tel Aviv resumed the war on Dec. 1.
Jan. 28, 2024: Paris talks 1 and 1st proposal
The talks resulted in a proposal for a three-phase cease-fire deal, according to leaks published by Arab and Israeli websites. Two days after the talks, Hamas stated that it was reviewing the proposal. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu derailed the process by claiming there were “significant gaps.”
Feb. 13, 2024: Cairo talks 1
The Cairo talks discussed a draft agreement for a six-week cease-fire. Netanyahu dismissed Hamas' demands regarding the number of Palestinian prisoners as “unrealistic.” The talks ended without a breakthrough, despite reports of “progress.”
Feb. 23, 2024: Paris talks 2
These talks ended without any progress. The next day, Israel’s Army Radio reported that “Hamas is far from what Israel is willing to accept.”
March 18, 2024: Doha talks
Negotiations began in Doha, Qatar, four days after Hamas submitted a proposal for a cease-fire. Israel responded negatively the day after the talks began, according to statements by Hamas leader Osama Hamdan.
Netanyahu then undermined the mediators' efforts to bridge the gaps, stating that Hamas' demands were “imaginary.”
April 7, 2024: Cairo talks 2
The talks concluded with reports of “progress” and plans to continue consultations two days later. However, there was no breakthrough, as Hamas insisted on a permanent cease-fire, while Netanyahu stalled.
May: 2 proposals
At the beginning of May, media reports emerged about an “Egyptian proposal” supported by Qatar and the US. This proposal involved three phases, each lasting between 40 and 42 days, ultimately leading to a permanent cease-fire and the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes.
Netanyahu responded to the proposal on May 2 and 4, speaking about a planned invasion of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Hamas accepted the proposal on May 6.
“I am closely following the positive developments in the negotiations and urge all parties to make further efforts to reach an agreement,” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said after Hamas’ acceptance.
On May 8, Cairo announced the resumption of the negotiations, but Netanyahu's government rejected the proposal the next day, claiming it “did not meet its demands.”
This rejection was followed by an intensification of Israel's ground offensive on Rafah, which Doha considered on May 14 to have “led the negotiations into a dead end.”
On May 27, the Israeli public broadcaster KAN said that the negotiating team would submit a proposal to the mediators the next day concerning a prisoner exchange deal, without disclosing its details.
May 31: Biden-backed proposal
On May 31, President Biden announced a plan for a complete and total cease-fire, stating that it was based on an Israeli proposal. The plan included three phases: the first involved a six-week cease-fire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas in Gaza, along with a hostage and prisoner exchange between the two sides.
The second phase involved a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of all remaining living hostages held by Hamas, moving towards a permanent cessation of hostilities. The third phase included a reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip.
Hamas welcomed Biden's proposal in principle, while Netanyahu insisted on continuing the war.
June 10, 2024: UN Resolution 2735
The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2735, welcoming Biden's proposal and calling for its implementation. Hamas also welcomed the resolution.
July 2 framework agreement and Rome talks
Hamas agreed to the July 2 framework agreement (presented by the mediators), based on Biden's vision and the UN Security Council resolution. However, Israel “faced it with new conditions that had not been proposed throughout the negotiation process,” according to a Hamas statement on Aug. 12.
July 7
Netanyahu said that any “agreement must allow Israel to continue fighting, prevent the smuggling of weapons to Hamas through the Gaza-Egypt border, and prevent thousands of gunmen from returning to northern Gaza.”
July 10-11: Doha and Cairo talks
These talks were preceded by media leaks, not denied by Hamas, that the movement had agreed to start the negotiations on Biden's proposal without insisting on a permanent cease-fire in the first phase of implementation.
July 27: Rome talk
During these talks, Netanyahu's office announced that Mossad Chief David Barnea had handed over an Israeli proposal to the mediators. The statement mentioned that “negotiations on key issues will continue in the coming days.”
The statement did not disclose the new conditions included in the Israeli response, but Israeli Channel 12 reported that the Israeli document clarified the three principles recently added by Netanyahu.
The channel added that the principles included a mechanism to inspect fighters moving from southern Gaza to the north, maintaining Israeli military forces along the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border, and receiving a list of living hostages to be released in advance.
August: New talks
On Aug. 12, Hamas, before the start of a new round of the negotiations in Doha, demanded that the mediators present a plan to implement what had been offered to the movement and accepted on July 2, based on Biden-backed proposal and the UN resolution, and to compel Israel to adhere to it instead of pursuing new rounds or proposals.
On Aug. 13, The New York Times revealed documents showing that Netanyahu was practically obstructing the cease-fire deal, setting new conditions before the Rome talks, including control over the Philadelphi Corridor.
Netanyahu's office later issued a statement denying the imposition of new conditions in the negotiations, stating that the July 2 draft did not include new conditions and did not contradict the May 27 proposal, marking the first Israeli reference to the May 27 proposal after Hamas repeatedly mentioned the July 2 framework.
Aug. 16: Mediators and new US proposal
The mediators, after talks in Doha, announced that Washington had presented a new proposal, supported by Egypt and Qatar, aimed at closing the remaining gaps, with another round of talks expected in Cairo before the end of the week.
On the same day, Netanyahu's office reiterated his commitment to what it called the “May 27 principles,” stating that Israel hopes that the mediators' pressure will push Hamas to accept the May 27 principles so that the agreement details can be implemented.
Meanwhile, Hamas leader Hussam Badran accused Netanyahu of obstructing the agreement, affirming that the Palestinians remain committed to the “July 2 framework, which is primarily based on Biden-backed proposal and the UN Security Council resolution.”
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since an attack last Oct. 7 by Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
The Israeli onslaught has since killed over 40,170 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 92,740, according to local health authorities.
More than 10 months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio
