Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer met with senior Qatari officials in France, a source familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.
The meeting was thought to be the first meeting between a senior Israeli official and Qatari officials since Hamas's response.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz were expected on Thursday to approve the plans for the conquest of Gaza City. The discussion will take place against the backdrop of a Hamas proposal, backed by mediators Egypt and Qatar, for a partial deal that would include the release of 10 living hostages and a 60-day ceasefire.
Ahead of the approval, Netanyahu ordered to “shorten the timeline for taking control of the last terrorist strongholds and defeating Hamas.”
Hostage deal gaps can be bridged 'within days'
Officials from the mediating countries told The Post that the outline presented is very close to the framework Israel had agreed to a few weeks ago. “Yes, there are gaps, but they can be bridged within days,” one official said.
Israel has maintained ambiguity regarding the proposal. On the one hand, officials stressed again on Wednesday that the goal remains a deal for the release of all the hostages. On the other hand, Israel has not explicitly rejected the proposal submitted. The assessment is that Israel is waiting to see whether the launch of a Gaza City offensive will prompt Hamas to shift toward a comprehensive deal.
US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff told Fox News that “three weeks ago, this proposal was on the table, and Hamas dragged us along in negotiations. President Trump declared he was not going to tolerate that any longer, and guess what happened? There was a significant breakthrough.”
Still, Witkoff added that the president had been “very firm and direct in his post, and he wants all the hostages back. That is our position. This conflict must end immediately. Twenty hostages need to be returned to their families. Let’s just end this – bring peace and tranquility to the people of Gaza and rebuild Gaza the way it should be rebuilt, as the president has outlined,” Trump’s envoy said.