The coming weeks will be pivotal in determining whether the current regional war in the Middle East will increase in intensity. Israel has agreed to resume cease-fire negotiations on August 15, just over two weeks after it assassinated Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s political leader and chief negotiator, in Tehran, and Fuad Shukr, one of the founding members of Hezbollah’s armed wing, in Beirut. Both Iran and Hezbollah have vowed to respond to Israel’s attacks.

Fearing escalation, the United States, Qatar, and Egypt put forth a statement pushing for a new round of negotiations after Western diplomats reportedly pushed for a potential comprehensive agreement to end the war in Gaza. The deal would include a cease-fire, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and a prisoner swap between Israel and the Palestinian resistance factions. The deal would also prioritize humanitarian needs by increasing aid to Gaza and developing a robust plan for rebuilding the infrastructure devastated by years of conflict.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the US-Qatar-Egypt statement by confirming that he will continue negotiations on August 15. Yahya Sinwar, who replaced Haniyeh as the chairman of Hamas’s political bureau, called on the mediators to propose a plan to force Israel to implement the deal to which the organization, based on proposals by President Joe Biden, agreed in late May. Additional rounds of negotiations, Hamas’s representatives said, would “provide the occupation time to continue perpetuating the war of genocide against our people.” It is unclear whether the party will send its representatives to negotiations on August 15. It is, however, clear that Hamas no longer believes that Israel is at all serious about ending the war.