Israeli negotiators still in contact with Arab mediators, awaiting US decision, says diplomat

Contact between mid-level Israeli negotiators and Egyptian and Qatari mediators has continued on a daily basis since Israel and the US decided to recall their teams from Doha last week, an Arab diplomat tells The Times of Israel.

The US is still deciding whether to proceed with the negotiations, and US President Donald Trump has indicated that he supports Israel moving ahead with military operations against Hamas. But he has also expressed growing alarm at the humanitarian situation in Gaza that has resulted from such military operations, leading to questions regarding the coherence of Washington’s policy.

The Arab diplomat says Egypt and Qatar are still waiting for directives from US special envoy Steve Witkoff, while simultaneously working independently to revive the negotiations.

Witkoff is reportedly meeting today with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, who departed Israel yesterday for the US.