Deal will take ‘long time’ to reach if Israel shifts course to pursue comprehensive Gaza plan — official

If Israel and the US abandon their efforts to reach the phased hostages deal that they’ve been negotiating for months with Hamas, it will take “a long time,” to reach an understanding on a comprehensive deal to release all of the hostages in exchange for an end to the war, a senior Israeli official familiar with the talks tells The Times of Israel.

Hostage talks have been at an impasse since last week when Israel and the US pulled their negotiators from Doha due to frustration with Hamas’s response to the latest proposal for a partial hostage deal.

Arab mediators have told The Times of Israel that while Hamas’s response slowed progress that had been made, the gaps are still bridgeable.

However, the deal on the table would only see the release of 28 of the 50 hostages during the two-month truce under discussion. The remainder would only be released if Israel and Hamas reach an agreement during those 60 days on terms for a permanent ceasefire.