Blog Post — The Successful Derailing of Negotiations

by Gershon Baskin 

(This piece was originally published here on July 12th, 2025, and is shared with the Partners community with the author’s permission)

Before Saturday night’s demonstrations for the hostages, here is my take on the breakdown of talks between Israel and Hamas.

1. Netanyahu succeeded in convincing Trump that the complete deal cannot be done now because Hamas has not surrendered and if Israel leaves Gaza, the space will be filled by Hamas who will steal the humanitarian aid, sell it and use the money to rebuild its forces. Therefore, Israel must stay in Gaza until Hamas surrenders. (Total victory). Trump apparently fell for Netanyahu’s false narrative. But Trump needs to understand that Hamas will never surrender to Israel. Hamas will continue to fight and will continue to kill Israeli soldiers as long as there are Israeli soldiers in Gaza. And Israel will continue to kill many Palestinians, combatants and many non-combatants, including many children.

2. Israel ensured that the talks in Doha would derail by presenting redeployment maps that Israel knew Hamas would reject. The so-called “Morag Corridor” is now the Israeli definitive line that without holding it, Hamas would be defeated. This is a made up claim and in fact is the same as what Netanyahu said about Philidephi, Rafah, Khan Yunis and other places.

3. The Israelis have told the Americans that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is now working efficiently and that the initial problems have been solved and the US should continue to support it. This is a lie and this system cannot and does not provide the humanitarian aid in a safe way to the 2.2 million Gazans, 2 million of who are homeless.

4. Israel is working on convincing the American of the viability of the so-called Gaza humanitarian (concentration) Camp on the ruins of Khan Yunis. It is not clear if Israel will succeed in convincing the Americans. In the meantime it is clear that the rest of the international community rejects it as inhumane and illegal under international law.

5. Witkoff did not leave for Doha because the talks are derailed and there is no present chance of reaching agreement.

My assessment is that while the American want a full and complete deal including the end of the war and a return of all of the hostages, they have been convinced by Netanyahu that he needs a partial deal for political reason of keeping his coalition together and he needs to delay any deal until July 28 when the Knesset goes to recess for 3 months and the danger of the government collapsing is put off at least until October. Trump agreed to Netanyahu’s request to delay and that is where we stand right now.

Gershon Baskin is the Middle East Director of ICO – International Communities Organization – a UK based NGO working in Conflict zones with failed peace processes. Baskin is a political and social entrepreneur who has dedicated his life to peace between Israel and her neighbors. He is also a founding member of “Kol Ezraheiha – Kol Muwanteneiha” (All of the Citizens) political party in Israel.