Middle East crisis deepens: Families of Israeli hostages protest at border crossing to block aid to Gaza
While Israel and Hamas continue indirect ceasefire talks, the rift between the sides remains wide, especially on two issues: the duration of any lull in the fighting and the fate of Hamas leaders in Gaza, according to officials who were informed about the discussions.
Here's a look at where the conversations stand.
How are the negotiations going?
A weeklong ceasefire in November allowed the release of more than 100 hostages kidnapped during Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7; As part of that deal, 240 Palestinian prisoners were released. Since then, both sides have taken seemingly intractable positions in favor of another such agreement.
The talks have progressed in fits and starts, with the leader of Israel's Mossad intelligence service meeting Qatari officials both in Qatar and in Europe. Many Hamas political leaders are based in Qatar. Egypt, which borders the Gaza Strip, has also played a key role.
Mediators have put forward several plans in recent weeks, but so far there has been little clear progress. The duration of a proposed ceasefire ranged from weeks to months. Reports of some of the proposals leaked to the press sparked controversy in Israel, where right-wing politicians said they would oppose plans they said would end the war prematurely.
Brett McGurk, the White House's top Middle East coordinator, led returned to the region on Sunday to work to free hostages, according to two US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
What conditions are being suggested for a new ceasefire?
Hamas officials say they will only release the remaining hostages in Gaza, believed to number more than 100, as part of a comprehensive ceasefire. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, said on Sunday he would not accept any deal for a permanent ceasefire that would leave Hamas in control of Gaza.
Under a recent framework for an agreement, mediators have proposed a phased release of the remaining hostages and Palestinian prisoners, with the aim of reaching a stable ceasefire, according to a senior Western diplomat and a regional diplomat.
What are the bottlenecks?
The biggest stumbling block is whether a ceasefire should be classified as temporary, like the previous one, or permanent.
Israeli officials have suggested they might consider a permanent ceasefire if Hamas leaders in Gaza leave the strip and go into exile, the two diplomats said.
Hamas officials have rejected that idea. “Hamas and its leaders are on their land in Gaza,” Husam Badran, a senior Hamas official, said in a text message. “We are not leaving.”
Another possible obstacle to this plan: Mr. Netanyahu said in November that he had ordered Mossad “to act against the heads of Hamas wherever they are,” likely raising fears within Hamas that its leaders outside Gaza are less would be safe.
What happens after the war is over?
Another important negotiation involves the future of the Gaza Strip after the guns fall silent.
Biden administration officials have said they hope the Palestinian Authority, which controls parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, will return to take control of Gaza. US officials would like to see both areas part of a future Palestinian state.
Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 and ousted the rival Fatah party, which dominates the Palestinian Authority. If Hamas remains in Gaza after the war, it would likely prove a formidable obstacle.
Mr Netanyahu has largely ruled out the return of the Palestinian Authority to governing Gaza, at least in its current form. He has also indicated that he would oppose the creation of an independent Palestine after the war.
Complicating matters further, the Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas, faces serious internal challenges. Polls regularly show that most Palestinians want Abbas to resign. He was last elected to a four-year term in 2005, and his critics accuse him of leading an increasingly autocratic regime that has failed to end Israeli rule.