The issues hindering Gaza cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas

Amna Nawaz:

Today, Israeli opposition leader and war cabinet member Benny Gantz was in Washington, D.C., to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris.

The trip came without the authorization of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and as Egypt, Qatar and Hamas hold negotiations over a possible deal that would pause the war in Gaza and release Israeli hostages.

Our Nick Schifrin is following all of this and joins us now.

Always good to see you, Nick.

So, let's start with the negotiations in Cairo. What do we know about how they're progressing, based on your reporting?

Nick Schifrin:

Publicly, both sides are sticking to their longstanding combative positions. Israel didn't even send its negotiators to Cairo to be part of these negotiations. And Hamas says it demands a permanent cease-fire, something that Israel has rejected out of hand.

But U.S. officials tell me the negotiations continue, and they have made progress with the idea of having some kind of deal before next week, before Ramadan begins. U.S. officials tell me Israel has agreed to the outline of a deal that would pause the war for six weeks and release 35 to 40 hostages in the first round.

Israel would release Palestinian detainees, and Israel would allow increased humanitarian aid into Gaza. Now, there are two major sticking points at this point, Geoff. Hamas refuses to hand over the names of those 35 to 40 hostages they would release in the first round. And Israel is pushing back on Hamas demands on specifically which Palestinian detainees they want released.

U.S. officials do believe that the decision point at this point really rests in the hands of Hamas. Meantime, of course, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues. Those U.S. airdrops we saw right there beginning this weekend will continue. And U.S. officials say they're considering other means to deliver aid, including through a northern point into Gaza using private security firms, even, Geoff, by the sea.

Geoff Bennett:

Yes.

Let's talk more about the U.S. approach, because we mentioned this meeting that happened today between the Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz and the vice president, Kamala Harris. Help us understand what led to it and what they actually discussed.

Nick Schifrin:

Yes, U.S. officials tell me that Gantz requested this trip.

And the people who met Gantz today tell me that he's likely here really just to check out where the U.S. stands on all of the issues that Israel is dealing with, especially with Gaza and the region. And the U.S. priorities, according to Kamala Harris, who spoke to reporters earlier today, are aid to Gaza and the hostage deal.

Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States: Far too many Palestinian civilians, innocent civilians have been killed. We need to get more aid in. We need to get the hostages out. And that remains our position.

And I will tell you that it is important that we all understand that they're — we're in a window of time right now where we can actually get a hostage deal done. We all want this conflict to end as soon as possible, and how it does matters.

Nick Schifrin:

Administration — administration officials tell me that Harris is trying to pressure both Hamas and Israel to make that deal before Ramadan begins.

As for Gantz, he is leading in Israeli polls right now. And he said over the last few months that perhaps he would be willing to take steps that would bring down the Israeli government. But those people I spoke to who spoke to Gantz earlier today say he's actually less interested in that and is more interested in trying to get a deal with Netanyahu to have an election by the fall.

Geoff Bennett:

Separately, the U.N. today released a report about sexual violence on October 7. What did it say?

Nick Schifrin:

Yes, this report is horrific.

It concluded that there is — quote — "clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexualized torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment has been committed against hostages."

And that echoes, of course, what Israel has been saying happened by Hamas militants on October the 7th in Israel. But the report also concludes this, that there are — quote — "reasonable grounds" to believe that such violence may be ongoing to those hostages in Gaza right now. Israel certainly believes that to be the case.

And Israeli officials believe that that may be one of the reasons why Hamas is resisting releasing some of the female hostages.

Geoff Bennett:

Wow.