Impossible Demands:
Negotiations Between Israel and Hamas
A StandWithUs UK Deep Dive
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas regarding a deal for the release of hostages has dragged on for almost a year, with the United States, Egypt and Qatar as mediators. There is a significant difference between what is being reported in the media and the reality on the ground. In recent weeks, several news reporters have declared that Israel’s refusal to withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor is the reason a deal had not been reached. What is actually the reason for persistent failures in discussions?
In a nutshell:
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas are mediated by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt, but Hamas’ demands complicate progress. Hamas demands a full IDF withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire – a non-starter for any negotiations – while Israel insists on maintaining control over key areas like the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors for security reasons. The Philadelphi corridor has been a crucial route for Hamas’ smuggling operations since 2005. While Israel is focused on securing the release of hostages, the proposed deal would only free 33 captives, leaving others without clear paths for release. Hamas uses psychological warfare, creating false hope and blaming Israel when negotiations falter. Their brutal tactics, including executing hostages, have led to internal pressure within Israel. Despite the desire for a resolution, Israel faces the challenge of balancing hostage recovery with national security, making the negotiations extremely complex.
Firstly, what do we know about any negotiations for a deal?
Israel and Hamas are not dealing directly with each other in the negotiating room. The mediators since October 7th have been the United States, Qatar and Egypt, who have been working to bridge the gaps, but the divergent demands and actions of Hamas complicate their efforts. Qatar (with ties to Hamas, and Egypt, have vested interests, while the U.S. is a staunch ally of Israel. Other than the agreements in November which led to a swap deal of 50 Israeli hostages for over 150 Palestinian prisoners has been the only success so far. There is much discourse about whether Israeli military pressure or negotiations are the best option to release the hostages. Israel is doing both, amidst Hamas’ barbaric psychological warfare against Israeli society.
Firstly, the potential deal does not release all Israeli hostages. The deal will release 33 living and deceased hostages and does not include a clear path for the release of the remaining captives. Hamas demands the end of the war and complete IDF withdrawal from Gaza, something which is a non-starter in regard to any possible negotiations. Israel is adamant that Hamas shall not remain in power after the war, and the IDF will maintain some elements of security control in Gaza to prevent an invasion in the future, similar to what took place on October 7th.
Israeli cities and towns in close proximity to Gaza
Israel’s position
On July 7th, Prime Minister Netanyahu presented Israel’s negotiating teams with his list of non-negotiable demands. Included among the demands was the stipulation that Israel must remain in control of the Philadelphi Corridor, which runs along the Gaza-Egypt border, as well as the Netzarim Corridor and buffer zone.
The Philadelphi corridor is a strip of land about nine miles along Gaza’s border with Egypt, including the Rafah crossing. There is much public discourse about whether Philadelphi should be retained by Israel if it hampers negotiations. However, the reality is that since 2005, the Philadelphi corridor has been the oxygen for Hamas’ smuggling of weapons, drugs, people and other resources in their reign of terror in Gaza. Israeli leadership is certain that Hamas will reuse the corridor for this purpose if it is given back control of it.
The Netzarim corridor is a five mile stretch of land that connects the Mediterranean Sea with the site of the former Karni crossing in north eastern Gaza. Initially, the corridor was home to Netzarim, an Israeli settlement in Gaza created in 1972 and then evacuated during the 2005 Disengagement. This man-made strip has split Gaza into northern and southern areas. This has been significant for the IDF’s operations as the residents of northern Gaza have moved southwards. Northern Gaza is in closest proximity to Israeli southern cities and towns, making it the most vulnerable point for attacks against civilians. By creating this corridor, the IDF has been able to focus on rooting out Hamas terrorists in northern Gaza whilst trying to protect civilians.
The buffer zone is a one-kilometre area along the Gaza-Israel border created by the IDF since the war began, making up 16% of the territory of Gaza. This buffer is essential to preventing any border crossings, and therefore any future events like what took place on October 7th.
Map of Gaza with the security needs made by the IDF
Hamas’ demands
Hamas has two demands:
- A full withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza.
- A permanent ceasefire. This is a non-starter for negotiations.
What does a permanent ceasefire mean according to Hamas? It is implied that Hamas is expecting that the IDF shall not return to Gaza in any capacity, even in the event of a ceasefire being broken by Hamas.
Hamas is demanding the international community to commit to ensuring that Israel is prevented from entering Gaza ever again. This is a non-negotiable position for the United States, who are aligned with the Israeli position that Hamas must not be allowed to continue to exist in power in Gaza.
In response to this demand, the US presented a bridging proposal to both parties that said that the IDF would have a minimal number of troops in the Philadelphi corridor to ensure security of Israeli citizens from further attacks. Hamas rejected this proposal.
Entrance to the tunnel where the six hostages bodies were found in September
Hostages and Hamas’ Use of Psychological Warfare
If Hamas’ demands are met, it will only guarantee the release of 33 hostages, meaning that Israel will have no further leverage in future negotiations, leaving the remaining hostages without any real hope of release. There is disagreement amongst hostage families about the terms, as there are many who know that their relatives will not be included in this proposed deal and therefore believe that military pressure is the best option to try and free them.
Hamas is close to running on empty, with heavy losses of troops and almost its entire rocket arsenal eliminated. Hamas has therefore turned to its favoured weapon of psychological warfare to stretch the will of Israeli society regarding the hostages. It has done this by increasing hopes of a deal being close, and then pulling away at the last minute by blaming Israel and fuelling self-guilt amongst Israeli society. This tactic was evident in the murder of six hostages at the beginning of September when IDF troops were close by. The Hamas spokesperson stated that the policy had changed to immediately kill hostages if there was a nearby threat from the IDF. The pain and anger of the hostage deaths led to huge protests in Israel, with the blame being directed towards the Israeli government.
Protestors in Tel Aviv following the murder of six hostages in September
Conclusion
The lack of progress in the hostage negotiations is not due to any Israeli stubbornness regarding the Philadelphi corridor, but rather it stems from Hamas’ demands of a full IDF withdrawal from Gaza, and a permanent end to any future fighting – which is a non-starter for negotiations. Whilst Hamas holds these positions, there is no possibility to even begin serious conversations, particularly as the hostages are an insurance for them in the future.
