One of the main disputes in the hostage and ceasefire negotiations in Gaza, taking place in Qatar, is Israel's refusal to commit to ending the war after the second phase of a potential deal, according to reports from informed sources.

A permanent ceasefire was one of Hamas's main demands, and the Palestinian movement wants to end Israel's genocidal war on the people of the Strip after the second phase of the deal.

Instead of committing to a permanent ceasefire, there will be an attempt to present an American commitment to “work with Israel to end the war.” This means that the deal will hinge on an American promise to pressure Israel to end military operations in Gaza, and there will be no actual commitment from Israel.

The information comes as US officials insist that a deal is “very close.” Hamas officials also told the media that negotiations were moving in a positive direction and that they were waiting for Israeli officials sent by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Qatar to approve their latest draft proposal.

Officials from the incoming Trump administration also say a deal could happen soon, including Steve Witkoff, who will serve as Trump's Middle East envoy and was involved in the recent negotiations.

According to what leaked about the ongoing negotiations in the Qatari capital, Doha, aimed at reaching a truce in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, "significant progress was made in the middle of the night," as an agreement was reached on a draft described as "final" and sent to both parties.

This progress came after intensive meetings between Mossad chief David Barnea, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, US President-elect Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

Trump himself has repeatedly threatened that there will be “hell to pay” if Hamas does not begin releasing Israeli hostages by his inauguration, and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance explained what that might mean in an interview Sunday.

“This means enabling the Israelis to eliminate the last battalions of Hamas and its leadership,” Vance said. “This means imposing very tough financial sanctions on those who support terrorist organizations in the Middle East. This means actually doing the work of American leadership.”

The point that Republicans are making is that President Biden has not done enough to support Israel, despite providing Israel with an unprecedented amount of military aid, exceeding $29 billion since Israel launched its devastating war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, and providing unprecedented diplomatic and political support.

In Israel, Netanyahu, who has scuttled previous rounds of negotiations and blocked attempts to reach an agreement, is now under increasing pressure to reach an agreement. More than 800 parents of Israeli soldiers recently sent a letter to Netanyahu, accusing him of sacrificing their children for political survival.