Hamas said on Thursday (Mar. 7) that its delegation has left Cairo and talks about a potential ceasefire and hostage release would resume next week, making it extremely unlikely that mediators would broker a deal before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Mediators have looked to Ramadan as an informal deadline due to the daytime fasting becoming a factor in Israeli-Palestinian violence linked to access to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, a holy site for both Jews and Muslims.
What makes matters worse is that the major Jewish feast of Passover is normally within the Muslim Ramadan and close to the Christian Holy Week.
The war already has the whole Middle East on edge, with Iran-backed groups trading fire with Israel and the United States, the Associated Press reported.
Egyptian officials had earlier said the negotiations had reached an impasse over Hamas's demand for a phased process culminating in an end to the war. But they did not rule out a deal before Ramadan, which is expected to begin on Sunday (Mar. 10).
Hamas spokesman Jihad Taha said that Israel refused to "commit to and give guarantees regarding the cease-fire, the return of the displaced, and withdrawal from the areas of its incursion." He also said that the talks were still ongoing and would resume next week.
There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials and negotiators.
On the Brink of a Truce
Egyptian officials involved in the negotiations told reporters on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the negotiations with the media that Hamas has agreed to the main terms of the agreement as a first stage but also wanted commitments that it would lead to an eventual more permanent ceasefire.
On the other hand, Israel wanted to confine the negotiations to a more limited agreement. They added that mediators were still pressing the two parties to soften their positions.
Hamas said it would not release all of the remaining hostages without a full Israeli withdrawal from the territory.
Palestinian militants were believed to be holding around 100 hostages and the remains of 30 others captured during Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war.
The group also demanded the release of a large number of prisoners, including top militants serving life sentences, in exchange for the remaining hostages.
The development posed a major dilemma for Israel, which at some point might have to choose between its two main goals of bringing back the hostages and trying to annihilate Hamas.
Ramadan is a time of heightened prayer, fasting, reflection, and charity for Muslims the world over, who hold festive nightly gatherings with family and friends after fasting ends at sundown.
The lunar month was expected to begin Sunday or Monday (Mar. 10 or 11), depending on the sighting of the moon.
