Hamas Is in No Hurry to Seal a Hostage Deal. Neither Is Netanyahu's Government
Last week's optimism was premature ■ Hamas' leadership is not backing down from its demand for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and Netanyahu's hardline comments indicate that he has no intention of agreeing ■ Hamas' defeat is still a long way off, which could be a problem for Biden and his day-after plans
The optimism was premature and excessive. Hamas' initial responses to the Qatari-Egyptian proposal for freeing the hostages aren't encouraging. After conflicting messages in recent weeks, it seems the organization's leadership is demanding a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip as a condition for a new deal. It isn't entirely clear if this is a precondition for the release of any hostages, or if it is to be implemented gradually over the course of the agreement. If it's the latter, the mediators may still have something to work with.