Israel seeks a deal in Washington to free hostages from Gaza without ending the war.

With Israel maintaining the ceasefire with Iran and simultaneously announcing its intention to uphold diplomatic relations with Lebanon and Syria, Gaza remains by far the most complex front in the conflicts in the Middle East. The sought-after advances toward peace, pursued for months, are nowhere in sight. The number of Palestinian casualties in the enclave—over 56,000—rises by dozens each day, while around fifty hostages kidnapped in Israel remain captive. The latest development involves the sending of Ron Dermer, Israel’s chief negotiator and right-hand man of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to Washington this Monday. At least for now, he is not headed to Doha (Qatar) or Cairo (Egypt), the other two intermediary countries in negotiations with the Palestinian group Hamas.

“Israel maintains a firm intention to reach an agreement on the hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza,” emphasized Foreign Minister Gideon Saar during a press appearance in Jerusalem alongside his Austrian counterpart, Beate Meinl-Reisinger. However, behind that statement lies Israel’s refusal to accept the conditions set by the Islamic Resistance Movement (commonly known as Hamas). These conditions stipulate that the release of hostages must be linked to a definitive end to attacks and the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza. The Islamists fear that the ceasefire agreed upon by Israelis and Americans may have a catch and only be temporary, until the hostages are returned. “We have agreed to the proposals of special envoy Steve Witkoff [the chief negotiator for the US]. But, unfortunately, so far, Hamas has not done so. Now it is crucial for Europe to support the American initiative for a ceasefire and to shatter Hamas’s illusions,” Saar added.

“If a temporary ceasefire is reached according to Witkoff’s proposal, it will also be easier to address the humanitarian situation,” the minister commented, without hiding the fact that the goal is not a definitive end to attacks on the Strip. “Of course, there are significant differences between the positions of both parties: we refuse to accept Hamas’s demands for the conditions to end this war. Hamas wants to end the war while still effectively controlling Gaza,” argues the head of Israeli diplomacy.

With his reference to the “humanitarian situation,” Gideon Saar refers to the enormous crisis generated by the inability of the Gazan population to access food or water. The Jewish state imposed a system of aid distribution managed by an organization called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) with armed mercenaries and the assistance of the US since late May. This mechanism contradicts the criteria of the UN and, according to local authorities, has caused the deaths of over five hundred people. The minister defends this system nonetheless, aiming to deliver aid directly to civilians and prevent Hamas from benefiting if it ends up controlling it.

In one of the biggest scandals of the war, the newspaper Haaretz reported that Israeli military orders include shooting unarmed Palestinians who come to seek aid, a claim the army has denied. Of the 48 deaths recorded in recent hours in Gaza, at least 13, according to the Gazan Health Ministry, have occurred near those aid distribution points.

The hardline faction of the Israeli government, however, continues to oppose an agreement for the release of hostages, equating it to a surrender. This was made clear once again this Monday by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism party, during a meeting of that formation, according to Haaretz. “We are in the middle of a campaign against a terrorist organization that has already been crushed and is seeking reconstruction,” he stated. “If we surrender now, if we give in precisely to the defeated, the message that will spread to the world will be sharp and clear: the way to subdue Israel… is by kidnapping Jews,” the minister added.

Relations with Syria and Lebanon

Ron Dermer will seek in Washington to advance not only in ending the violence in the Strip but will also listen to proposals from the Trump administration about the expansion of the Abraham Accords, which normalize relations with Israel’s Arab neighbors, according to Israeli military radio. The head of diplomacy in the Jewish state believes that the current situation, following the ceasefire imposed by Trump between Israel and Iran, is an open door. “Israel is interested in expanding the circle of peace and normalization of the Abraham Accords. We are interested in adding countries like Syria and Lebanon, our neighbors,” Saar stated, immediately warning that the Syrian territories occupied by Israel will not be part of the negotiations. “Israeli law has applied in the Golan Heights for over 40 years. In any peace agreement, the Golan will remain part of the State of Israel,” he made clear. Additionally, the Jewish state has continued to seize more Syrian territory with its troops since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December.

The Abraham Accords, launched in 2020 under the auspices of the United States during Trump’s first presidential term, entail the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Arab countries. To date, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco have joined. As he enters his second term, the Republican leader now seeks to add new states to that list and continue supporting his regional ally, Israel.