Ceasefire negotiations in Qatar have hit a critical impasse after Israel insisted on maintaining control over a significant portion of the besieged Gaza Strip, drawing condemnation and deep concern from international mediators and Palestinian resistance groups.

According to reports by Israel’s Channel 12, Israel is now expected to present a revised withdrawal map in an attempt to revive stalled talks. The original Israeli proposal sought to retain military occupation zones up to 3 kilometers wide inside Gaza—roughly one-third of the territory—including areas like Rafah in the far south, where Israel reportedly intends to construct a so-called “humanitarian aid city” to detain Palestinians prior to forced deportations to third countries.

In contrast, Hamas had agreed to a temporary buffer zone with a maximum width of 1 kilometer (0.62 miles), and rejected Israel’s plan as a clear continuation of its land-grabbing policy and an attempt to formalize the reoccupation of Gaza under humanitarian pretenses.

Arab and international mediators have expressed frustration over Israel’s refusal to concede meaningful ground. Citing diplomatic sources, the Haaretz newspaper reported that Qatar, Egypt, and other mediator nations are trying to navigate between Hamas’ legitimate resistance demands and the intransigence of Israel’s far-right government.

Even the United States, a key backer of Israel, reportedly voiced dissatisfaction with Tel Aviv’s proposals and conveyed its concerns to Qatari and Egyptian officials.

Israeli media outlet KAN revealed that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, notorious for his extremist anti-Arab rhetoric, may resign if a ceasefire deal is reached. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to be working behind closed doors to appease ultra-nationalist members of his cabinet, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, to avoid cabinet collapse.

Negotiations in Doha are focused on a two-month ceasefire, the release of 10 living and 18 deceased Israeli captives, and the conditions for a permanent truce. While Hamas has shown willingness to move forward, Israel continues to obstruct progress by insisting on retaining military zones and infrastructure that violate Palestinian sovereignty.

The so-called “collection camp” plan in Rafah—intended to hold Palestinians for deportation—has drawn fierce international criticism, echoing apartheid-era and ethnic cleansing tactics.

Meanwhile, violence against Palestinians continues unabated. On July 11, in the occupied West Bank town of Sinjil, illegal Israeli settlers, emboldened by state protection, beat one Palestinian and fatally shot another. The killing adds to a growing death toll in the West Bank, where at least 998 Palestinians have been martyred and more than 7,000 injured by Israeli soldiers and armed settlers since the war on Gaza began in October 2023, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

In Gaza, the genocidal Israeli campaign has killed nearly 58,000 Palestinians, the vast majority women and children. Entire neighborhoods have been leveled, hospitals turned into graveyards, and civilians deliberately denied food, water, and fuel.

As ceasefire talks hang by a thread, Palestinians continue to resist on all fronts—against bombs, siege, and systematic displacement. Calls are growing louder across the Muslim world and international civil society for a just resolution that ends occupation, ensures full Palestinian sovereignty, and holds Israeli war criminals accountable. (ILKHA)