By: Valentina Cheng

Senior officials from Israel, Egypt, Qatar, and the United States met in Rome on Saturday, July 27th, continuing negotiations over a cease-fire (temporary suspension to a fight, truce) in Gaza. Simultaneously, there was growing violence on the border between Israel and Lebanon.

Officials stated that they’re actively working on forging a truce in which Israeli hostages held by Hamas would be exchanged for a couple hundred Palestinian prisoners jailed by Israel.

Israeli negotiators privately discussed leaving the border if they can install electronic sensors to “detect future efforts to dig tunnels, as well as construct underground barriers to block tunnel construction,” as reported in the NYT “Negotiators Meet to Revive Push for Hostage Release and Cease-Fire in Gaza.” No agreement was reached.

According to Jonathan Dekel-Chen, a father whose son, Sagui, had been abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Oct.7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised on Thursday to families of hostages in Gaza that there would be no additional conditions added to the cease-fire agreement. The agreement was made to “ease their concerns and reassure” them a deal would be reached without complications. This pledge was made in the presence of US President Biden, his security advisor, Jake Sullivan, and 6 other families with relatives that are being held in Gaza.

Israeli officials also wanted to maintain checkpoints along a “strategic highway” in Gaza to prevent Hamas fighters from “ferrying” weapons into the city. Reported by 4 Israeli officials and one official from a mediating country.

Hamas wanted a permanent truce, while Israel wanted to continue the fight. Initially, Israel seemed more flexible to negotiating earlier in the summer, but their position has become more rigid over the past few weeks. On the other hand, Hamas has consistently refused to make accommodations.