Deal or War: Israel Faces Two Stark Choices Amidst Doha Negotiations

A report by Amale Chehadeh, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine

A deal by the end of next week or a regional war. These are the only two options presented by Israelis familiar with the Doha negotiations to the decision-makers.

They warned against Israel's rejection of the American mediation proposal and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stubborn stance, particularly regarding the Israeli army's presence at the Philadelphi Route and the establishment of a mechanism at the Netzarim Corridor, to screen Gazans returning to the northern part of the Strip.

Despite the optimism expressed by mediators about narrowing the gaps between Israel and Hamas, security officials believe that significant differences remain regarding the issues of the Philadelphi Route and Netzarim.

This situation has led security agencies to once again propose a plan to Netanyahu under which the army could withdraw from the Philadelphi Route and the entire Gaza Strip, with American guarantees for its return if necessary.

The issue regarding Netzarim, in particular, has sparked significant debate in Israeli meetings following Washington's rejection of the inspection mechanism insisted upon by Netanyahu.

By Monday, an Israeli technical negotiation team is expected to discuss with mediators' teams what can be formulated into a final text regarding Israeli hostages included in the first phase of the deal and the possibility of increasing their number.

Another crucial point of discussion involves Palestinian security prisoners serving life sentences, for whom Israel demands veto power over their number, identities, and which individuals will be expelled abroad.

Simultaneously, Israeli, American, and Egyptian technical officials are expected to meet in Cairo on Sunday in an attempt to agree on security arrangements for the Philadelphi Route and the reopening of the Rafah crossing.

Israel, which has maintained its highest state of alert and readiness, chose the moment when the joint statement was issued after the Doha negotiations to promote images of Israeli Air Force drills.

These drills involved fighter jets capable of mid-air refueling, simulating long-range strikes. Military officials see this as a warning message to Iran against carrying out its threat to retaliate against Israel.

Meanwhile, the Israeli public remains anxious and uncertain about the threat of retaliation from Iran and Hezbollah. They continued their protests, demanding an immediate deal to secure the release of captives and prevent a regional war.

They are now awaiting the arrival of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Israel, hoping he can secure the understandings that Washington and the mediators aspire to and that the deal will come to fruition by next week.