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MembersOne Step Away from a Deal

What’s behind Netanyahu’s push for a deal: quiet concessions, rising political pressure – and the Trump factor in the background.

Israelis attend a rally calling for the release of Israelis held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, outside the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, July 13, 2025. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to reach a hostage deal in the near future. Unlike in the past, Netanyahu has now granted the negotiating team in Doha greater flexibility. Israel continues to show concessions, especially on the issue of withdrawal maps. Three to four updated Israeli withdrawal plans have already been presented to Hamas, which continues to insist on a pullback to the lines of March 2 — meaning along the Philadelphi Corridor, with several points still held by the IDF.

In practice, Israel has already given up on the Morag Axis and agreed to retreat several hundred meters, and in some areas even more than a kilometer — a significant step toward Hamas’s demands. But it’s still not enough for the enemy: Hamas remains obstinate on substance and only shows marginal flexibility. Still, Israeli sources believe the issue of withdrawal lines can ultimately be resolved.

Informed sources report: “Talks are tough, but there’s...

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Patrick Callahan

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