Witkoff: Say, These Hamas Fellows Aren’t Negotiating in Good Faith!

Do tell. What was your first clue? Perhaps the rapes and massacres on October 7, 2023? Killing babies they kidnapped? Inquiring minds want to know.

The last straw came within the last 24 hours. Steven Witkoff had pushed Israel into more concessions on withdrawing from portions of Gaza, the ratio of hostages-for-prisoner swaps, and apparently got some movement on aid. After Hamas negotiators in Doha offered positive reactions to the terms, they stalled on actual acceptance — and then heaped more conditions, reversing some of their previous concessions.

Israel recalled their team back to Jerusalem in response. And they aren’t the only ones tired of dealing with bad-faith demands:

Mediators last week were bullish about the chances of an imminent agreement after Israel came down from many of its demands regarding the scope of its troop presence in Gaza during the two-month truce under discussion.

But the response submitted by Hamas on Tuesday night demanded that Israel further withdraw toward the Gaza border, the source said, adding that the group also submitted amendments regarding guarantees from the mediators to make it harder for Israel to resume the war after the 60-day truce; more clear-cut language ending the operations of the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation; and raising the ratio of security prisoners who will be released for each Israeli hostage, an Arab diplomat familiar with the negotiations said on Wednesday. …

Immediately upon reviewing Hamas’s response on Tuesday night, Egyptian and Qatari mediators told Hamas that they would not present it to US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff and demanded that the terror group submit a softened proposal, the source said Wednesday, adding that the mediators’ frustration with Hamas was mounting.

That’s what I call the Hamas Hokey Pokey, and Witkoff should have expected it. So should Hamas’ allies, or interlocutors, in Cairo and Doha. Hamas doesn’t want an end to war; they just want some space and time to reload and launch another October 7. Israel has been forced into nine earlier cease-fires in conflicts Hamas has started, and all of these deals had the same bad-faith negotiations and a refusal by interlocutors to hold Hamas responsible for further violations. 

Witkoff has also stormed out of the negotiations this time. Instead, he warned, the US would explore “alternative options” to free the hostages and put an end to Hamas’ war:

🚨🚨🚨White House envoy @SteveWitkoff: “We have decided to bring our team home from Doha for consultations after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear… https://t.co/U7lL364r8R

— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) July 24, 2025

“… Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith. We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza. It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way. We are resolute in seeking an end to this conflict and a permanent peace in Gaza.”

The Israelis are at least keeping their options open in Doha. They tried to offer a positive spin on their departure, saying that Hamas’ response required higher-level consideration. However, they also acknowledged that the Hamas counter-offer was basically a non-sequitur:

Despite the return of the delegation, Israeli officials emphasized that the move does not signal a breakdown of talks.

“This is not the collapse of the negotiations,” the official stressed. “This delegation stayed in Doha for over two and a half weeks – longer than any previous Israeli team. We’ve reached a stage where further progress requires consultation at home.”

According to Israeli assessments, the response delivered by Hamas “does not allow for continued progress unless there is movement in their positions.” The official added, “As things stand, it’s not in our area code.”

I suspect that the Israelis are also looking at “alternative options” at this point. At least one Israeli general suggests that should start in Doha rather than Gaza. It’s the Hamas Billionaire Boys Club in Qatar who are making these calls, Amir Avivi tells The Editors, and Israel has to find ways to force them to capitulate. The argument is entirely behind the paywall, but both Israel and the US have to be seriously considering the value of their Qatari ‘allies’ at this stage. 

In the meantime, expect to see a renewed push by the IDF in Gaza. That seems to be the only real pressure Hamas recognizes. They may also worry that Witkoff’s promise of “alternative options” are similar to the alternative options Trump took in dealing with their patrons in Iran. Much has changed in the region, whether Hamas likes it or not.