Israeli Sources: Hostage Negotiations Have Collapsed
According to sources speaking to multiple Israeli media outlets, Hamas has cut off contact and is not talking to anyone.
An Israeli political source speaking to multiple Israeli media outlets today (Thursday) said that negotiations with Hamas for a hostage deal appear to have entirely collapsed, and that an expansion of IDF military operations now appears inevitable.
According to the source, Hamas has entirely cut off contact and is not speaking with anyone - a statement backed by official Hamas statements of disinterest in negotiations until Israel provides humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip to its satisfaction.
Per a report by Channel 12 News, Israel has insisted on no release of Nukhba terrorists, no moving of the IDF from the kilometer-deep buffer "perimeter" inside the Gaza Strip, and no forgoing of the work of the GHF within the Gaza Strip.
Regarding the aid and food situation inside the Strip, Channel 12 reported that Israel has not only airdropped dozens of tons of aid into the Strip but that around 1,000 trucks have finally been picked up by humanitarian organizations and many more are coming in. Unfortunately, according to the UN's own numbers, the vast majority of these trucks have been looted, depriving ordinary Gazans of much needed food.
Channel 14 reports that Israel and the US are now switching from trying for a partial hostage deal to a complete one, in which all the hostages are released and Hamas entirely disarms. While Channel 14 reporter Tamir Morag said the odds of this being acceptable to Hamas are nil, it does align with President Trump's desire to bring the war to an end, as well as the recent Arab League statement in favor of Hamas disarmament.