The latest military actions by Israel in Gaza, along with the prime minister's non-negotiable positions, have prompted Hamas to warn that the truce and hostage release negotiations may be brought "back to square one."
When the Palestinian armed group abandoned its demand that Israel agree to a permanent truce as a prerequisite last week, there were signs of progress.
However, Hamas claimed that Benjamin Netanyahu had established additional "obstacles" in advance of the start of indirect negotiations in Qatar on Wednesday by outlining terms of any agreement that would have permitted Israel to carry on with hostilities.
While the US and a senior Palestinian official played down the importance of the public remarks made by both parties, there was no quick response from Israel.
It happened as thousands of Palestinian people were reportedly forced to evacuate as Israeli tanks and troops advanced deeper into numerous central neighborhoods of Gaza City.
Following the commencement of the operation on Monday in response to what it claimed to be intelligence showing the presence of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad infrastructure there, the Israeli military declared that it had killed "dozens of terrorists."
In Gaza City's eastern Shejaiya sector, where a similar operation started more than a week ago, it was also reported that six underground tunnels, measuring roughly 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) in length, had been discovered and destroyed.
At least 18 people were killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on Tuesday, including six in Gaza City, according to Palestinian health sources.
On October 7, an unprecedented attack on southern Israel resulted in roughly 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages. In response, the Israeli military launched a battle in Gaza to defeat Hamas.
Since then, over 38,240 people have died in Gaza, including 50 in the last day, according to the health ministry operated by Hamas in the region.
In a statement released on Monday night, Hamas claimed that its political head, Ismail Haniyeh, who is located in Doha, had established "urgent contacts" with Egyptian and Qatari intermediaries on the alleged ongoing "massacres, killings, and displacement" of Palestinians by Israeli forces.
"Noting that this could bring the negotiating process back to square one, Haniyeh warned of the disastrous repercussions of what is happening in Gaza City, Rafah, and other areas across the Gaza Strip," the statement continued.
The Israeli prime minister was accused by Hamas of "placing additional obstacles in the way of the negotiations" in another statement.
As part of a planned agreement that US President Joe Biden unveiled at the end of May, Hamas withdrew its demand for a permanent truce, and last Thursday, Mr. Netanyahu instructed Israel's negotiators to get back to work.
However, a statement from the prime minister's office on Sunday tempered expectations by stating that any deal has to adhere to four criteria.
One was that Israel might "continue fighting until all of the war's objectives have been met," a proposition that Hamas had previously rejected. The others were that Israel would release as many living hostages as possible, that armed fighters would not be permitted to return to northern Gaza, and that there would be no smuggling of weapons into Gaza from Egypt.
As part of an agreement reached in November, 240 Palestinian inmates held in Israeli jails and the release of 105 hostages by Hamas were exchanged for a week-long ceasefire. According to Israel, 116 captives are still being detained, and 41 of them are thought to be dead.
According to Mr. Biden, the new agreement was divided into three stages.
In the first, a six-week "full and complete ceasefire" would be implemented, Israeli forces would leave populous areas of Gaza, and some hostages—including women, the elderly, and the sick and injured—would be traded for Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel.
All remaining surviving hostages would be freed, and there would be a "permanent end to hostilities" in the second phase. The third would witness the return of the remains of the dead hostages and the beginning of a comprehensive plan for Gaza's rebuilding.
The national security spokeswoman for the White House, John Kirby, admitted that there were still "some gaps" in the views of Hamas and Israel.
However, he emphasized that if they did not believe those gaps could be filled, US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk and CIA director William Burns would not have flown to Cairo for discussions with their counterparts in Egypt, Israel, and Jordan on Monday.
"Public remarks made by both parties don't always accurately represent the discussions we have in private with them or their associates," he informed reporters.
A senior Palestinian official with knowledge of the negotiations likewise regarded Hamas's claims with suspicion.
The official told the BBC that if Hamas had not backed down from its demand for an ongoing ceasefire, the recent progress would not have been possible. The official also said that the group's comments were a reflection of their frustration with the recent Israeli military operations in Gaza City, which they believed were intended to put pressure on Hamas to make more concessions.
Additionally, he stated that there was a general feeling of cautious optimism prior to the CIA director's arrival in Doha to begin a new round of negotiations.
On Wednesday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, the foreign minister and prime minister of Qatar, is anticipated to have talks with Mr. Burns. Later on, they will be joined by Ronen Bar, the head of Israel's Shin Bet security organization, and Abbas Kabel, the leader of Egyptian intelligence.
The Palestinian official predicted that the negotiations would be difficult, drawn out, and perhaps lengthy.
According to reports, Hamas wants Israeli forces to leave important parts of Gaza, such as the Philadelphi corridor, which is a strip of territory that runs along the Egyptian border, and the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
Additionally, there is a standoff over Hamas's demand that 100 prominent members of the political groups Fatah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad be released from Israeli imprisonment.
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