NEW YORK — Arab mediators have not been substantively advancing hostage talks since Israel’s September 9 strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha, an Arab diplomat tells The Times of Israel.
Before resuming negotiations, Qatar is seeking some sort of apology from Israel over the strike, the diplomat says, acknowledging that Jerusalem has indicated little interest in offering such a gesture.
Meanwhile, Egypt is holding off on trying to mediate independently, believing that Qatar’s role is critical and that the effort should be advanced jointly, the diplomat says.
The diplomat says Hamas has expressed willingness to resume negotiations, pointing to a letter presenting another phased ceasefire offer that the group plans to send to US President Donald Trump.
The Arab diplomat expresses hope that the freeze in negotiations will be lifted in the coming days.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Monday, September 22, 2025
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
