As Israel launched a new ground offensive in northern and southern Gaza, it announced hours later that it would allow food shipments into the Palestinian territory. Meanwhile, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas continue in Doha, focusing on ending the war, negotiating a ceasefire, and releasing hostages.

The indirect talks, ongoing in Doha since last week, appear to be moving toward a possible agreement to halt the war in Gaza and resolve the Israeli hostage crisis with Hamas. What progress has been made so far?

Confidentiality and Pressure from Mediators

The negotiations remain highly secretive, led by traditional mediators and the U.S. presidential envoy to the Middle East. American leaks suggest that the Doha talks between Hamas and Israel are not proceeding smoothly but are "highly advanced," according to Adam Boehler, the U.S. Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs.

In recent critical hours, mediators and U.S. officials reportedly pressured Hamas to release hostages and avoid further escalation of Israel's broad ground offensive in Gaza. At the same time, the U.S. envoy to the Middle East pressed the Israeli delegation, repeatedly emphasizing that the Trump administration does not want to see famine in Gaza or to have such a humanitarian disaster associated with its tenure.

Israeli Military Response to U.S. Pressure

It appears that Israel's military leadership, recognizing the seriousness of U.S. pressure, may have advised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the military operation is nearing its conclusion. The military might have also authorized Netanyahu and the Israeli Security Cabinet to immediately resume humanitarian aid transfers to Gaza.

According to sources close to the indirect negotiations, the Israeli delegation was responsible for relaying U.S. demands to facilitate aid delivery to Gaza through international organizations.