Israel and Hamas Have Different Reasons for Pursuing Gaza Deal

Progress toward a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza follows a shift in the balance of power in the Middle East after last month's 12-day war between Israel and Iran.

- Jared Malsin & Summer Said

If Israel and Hamas complete negotiations brokered by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt, they would pause the nearly two-year-old war in Gaza, free Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and allow more humanitarian aid into the hunger-stricken enclave.

Arab mediators said talks over next steps toward a cease-fire deal are expected to take place Sunday in both Doha and Cairo, with negotiating teams splitting up between the two capitals.

Israel's military campaign against Iran last month has given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a window to negotiate. The strikes on Iran followed more than a year in which Israel went on the offensive against Iran's allies, weakening Lebanon's Hezbollah movement and contributing to the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria.

The Iran war, which set back Tehran's nuclear program and demonstrated Israel's military superiority over its main adversary in the region, could allow Netanyahu to push back on his right-wing coalition partners, who have threatened to abandon the government if he ends the war in Gaza.

In Gaza, Hamas is under pressure from Palestinians demanding a reprieve from the crisis after more than three months in which Israel has restricted food and other supplies allowed into the enclave. Israel has also killed a series of top Hamas leaders in recent months. The Islamist group is also facing a cash crunch that is making it harder for it to pay its rank and file.

The new proposal calls for a temporary, 60-day cease-fire that would buy time for mediators to attempt to broker a permanent end to the war, which could prove far more difficult than a temporary pause. Israel and Hamas have paused fighting twice before, in November 2023 and in January.