Key issues have been narrowed down: “Now is the right time to conclude negotiations,” says the White House. The White House has indicated that the ceasefire negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas, currently taking place in Qatar, could be concluded as early as this week.
On the 13th (local time), Jake Sullivan, the U.S. National Security Advisor, stated in a briefing, “We are close to concluding the negotiations, and it could happen this week.” Sullivan mentioned that they believe they are on the verge of finalizing the details of the ceasefire, and they will do everything possible to cross the finish line.
When asked why the likelihood of concluding the negotiations had increased, Sullivan mentioned that the differences over key issues, such as the exchange of Israeli hostages and prisoners, the deployment of Israeli troops upon withdrawal from Gaza, and the expansion of humanitarian aid during the ceasefire, have been narrowed. He added that these differences are being slowly bridged on paper.
He further explained that a significant reason for this development is that Israel has achieved substantial military objectives in Gaza, while Hamas has suffered catastrophic military losses. Combining these two factors, Sullivan believes now is the opportune time to finalize the negotiations.
Previously, both the current and incoming U.S. administrations pressured Israel to conclude the ceasefire negotiations before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, scheduled for the 20th. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Steve Witkoff, Trump’s designated special envoy to the Middle East, on the 11th, and subsequently dispatched a high-level negotiation team led by the head of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad to Qatar.
Meanwhile, a high-ranking Hamas source reported to Qatari media that the ceasefire negotiations have been effectively “completed,” awaiting only the final approval from Prime Minister Netanyahu. This news suggests that the conclusion of the negotiations is imminent, and Israel’s dispatch of a high-level negotiation team could indicate that the ceasefire agreement is ready, with only the formal signing remaining.