Israeli negotiators immediately rejected that demand, the two officials said. Israel wants the option to resume fighting if it deems it necessary. Without such leverage, Hamas might drag its feet, effectively obtaining an undeclared permanent cease-fire, one of the officials argued.
At the heart of the dispute is the question of the future of Gaza. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has vowed to destroy Hamas and topple its rule in the Palestinian enclave. Hamas hopes that a permanent cease-fire will allow it to cling to power.
Israel’s military leaders now increasingly say that a deal to bring home the remaining 120 hostages is the right way forward, even at the cost of leaving Hamas in power for the time being.
The talks are based on a three-stage framework first publicized by President Biden in late May and later endorsed by the United Nations Security Council.
Both sides agree on the broad outlines of a deal that would include a six-week cease-fire and the release of most of the civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
