Netanyahu instructed that Jerusalem engage in “proximity talks” for the return of hostages, “on the basis of the Qatari proposal that Israel has agreed to.”

By JNS staff

An Israeli negotiation team was set to depart for Doha on Sunday as Israel stated that the Hamas terrorist group was seeking to make “unacceptable” changes to a hostages-for-ceasefire proposal that had been accepted by Jerusalem.

Following a situational assessment, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed that Jerusalem engage in “proximity talks” for the return of hostages, “on the basis of the Qatari proposal that Israel has agreed to,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement late Saturday night.

“The changes that Hamas is seeking to make in the Qatari proposal were conveyed to us last night and are unacceptable to Israel,” the statement continued. “The negotiating team will depart tomorrow (Sunday) for the talks in Qatar.”

Hamas announced on Friday that it had delivered a positive response to the U.S.-backed proposal brokered by Qatar.

However, according to Arab media reports over the weekend, the terror group is demanding that humanitarian aid be delivered exclusively through the United Nations and other international organizations, effectively ending operations of the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund.

Hamas was also reported to have demanded clarifications on Israel’s plans for withdrawal from Gaza during the ceasefire, as well as a commitment to continue negotiations toward a permanent end to the war beyond the 60-day ceasefire.

Netanyahu was scheduled to depart for Washington on Sunday ahead of a Monday meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on July 1, Trump previewed the upcoming meeting, expressing optimism about the possibility of a truce deal.

“We hope it’s going to happen,” the president said, adding, “We’re looking forward to it happening sometime next week. We want to get our hostages out.”

On Saturday night, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged Netanyahu to block the “surrender framework” and return to the path of a decisive victory.

“The central goal of the war is the collapse of Hamas,” Ben-Gvir emphasized. “A promise of ‘demilitarization of the Strip’ in the future, combined with a partial agreement now that includes the withdrawal of IDF forces from captured territories, the release of hundreds of murderous terrorists, and the resuscitation of Hamas through large-scale humanitarian aid, distances us from achieving this goal and is a reward for terror.”

“The path to decisive victory and the safe return of our hostages is the full conquest of Gaza, a complete halt to the so-called ‘humanitarian’ aid, and encouraging emigration,” the minister added.

The Israeli military is continuing ground operations across Gaza as part of “Gideon’s Chariots,” a campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas’s remaining terror capabilities, seizing key areas in the Strip, and securing the release of the 50 captives.