Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out sending an Israeli delegation to conduct further negotiations regarding the hostages in Cairo, without consulting the most important decision-making forum in the war, according to widespread Israeli reports on Wednesday.

The decision sparked anger among representatives of the hostages’ families and reportedly angered National Unity Party cabinet members Benny Gantz and Gadi Eizenkot, who met Wednesday evening to discuss their response after being excluded from several key recent decisions.

Netanyahu’s office said no progress could be made in hostage negotiations until Hamas changes its “illusionary” position.

In a statement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum – which represents family members of most of the remaining hostages in Gaza – said it was “surprised” by the decision to “frustrate” ongoing talks, adding that “it appears that the cabinet decided to sacrifice the lives of the hostages without acknowledging it.”

The statement added that this decision would represent "the death penalty" for the remaining hostages in captivity."

Egypt and Qatar are looking to push negotiations forward by holding meetings on Thursday to avoid the main sticking point: the number of Palestinian prisoners that Israel would need to release in a potential deal. According to the Walla news site, which cited sources familiar with the matter, Thursday’s talks will focus on the humanitarian aspects of the agreement.

The heads of Mossad and Shin Bet, as well as Netanyahu’s diplomatic advisor, were in Cairo on Tuesday to attend the negotiations. A source in the Prime Minister’s office told The Times of Israel that they were there to listen and nothing more. Those talks ended without a breakthrough.

Kan channel also reported on Tuesday that Netanyahu rejected a new framework proposal put forward by Mossad, Shin Bet, and the Israeli army for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.

The demands of the Palestinian movement include moving towards a permanent ceasefire, withdrawal of forces from Gaza, reconstruction of the sector, and the release of about 1,500 Palestinian prisoners, including many convicted killers and masterminds of the movement, in exchange for releasing the remaining hostages held on Palestinian territories since October 7.

Israel said such demands are unacceptable.

The Prime Minister’s office stated: “In Cairo, Israel did not receive any new proposal from Hamas to release our hostages,” adding that the Prime Minister “insists that Israel will not succumb to Hamas’s illusionary demands.”

The statement was issued shortly after media announced that Israel will not send a delegation on Thursday.

The statement added that “a change in Hamas’s positions will allow progress in the negotiations.”

According to Channel 12 news on Wednesday, Netanyahu rejected a recommendation from those present at the talks to “exhaust the process.”

Officials involved in the negotiations told the network that they “understand the political challenge Netanyahu is facing, but this is an opportunity he cannot miss.”

Netanyahu is under pressure from his allies in the far-right coalition to reject what they consider an irresponsible agreement with Hamas to stop the ongoing Israeli army attack.

The Families Forum said, “While the negotiating team has decided to be mere passive listeners, the female hostages are actively being raped and the men are suffering mistreatment.” The group said it will establish starting Thursday a “sit-in” outside the Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tel Aviv until the Prime Minister and the war government agree to meet with the families.

Amid Israel’s scheduled absence, a Hamas delegation will head to Cairo to meet with Egyptian and Qatari officials to conduct talks on Thursday.

Mediators in Egypt are said to be racing to reach a ceasefire before Israel embarks on a large-scale planned ground operation in Rafah.

Israel was ready to accept talks based on the original Paris framework reached two weeks ago, which reportedly envisions a three-phase humanitarian truce, with the release of between 35 and 40 Israeli hostages – women and men over 60 years old and those suffering serious medical conditions – during the first six-week phase. Israeli soldiers and bodies of deceased hostages will be released in the second and third phases respectively.

Details related to the final phases, as well as the number and identities of the Palestinian security prisoners Israel will release, were to be discussed in later negotiations if both sides agreed to the Paris proposal. Other reports presented different versions of the framework, which were not officially published.

Quoting American and Israeli officials, Axios news site reported late Tuesday that the main sticking point in the negotiations is the release of Palestinian prisoners, with US President Joe Biden telling Netanyahu on Sunday that while Hamas’s demands went too far, Israel could show more flexibility and a larger number of Palestinians would likely be released per hostage compared to the previous agreement in November which saw the release of 105 civilians by the movement.

An American official said: “The ratio remains an unresolved issue.”

The previous deal involved the release of three Palestinians for each hostage.

The report also mentioned that Netanyahu told Biden he wants a hostage deal but it must have the cabinet’s support, which includes far-right allies who oppose the truce.

Talks were held Tuesday in Cairo as Israel prepared to expand its offensive to include the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, where 1.4 million displaced Palestinians fled seeking shelter to escape fighting elsewhere. An Israeli hostage rescue mission on Monday freed two detainees held in the border town, a raid that killed at least 74 Palestinians according to Hamas health officials, and Israel said many of the dead were terrorist militants.

Israel has made the destruction of Hamas’s governing and military capabilities and the release of hostages the main objectives of the war, which began when thousands of Hamas fighters invaded southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and capturing 253 others, including women and children. Tens of thousands of Israelis were displaced from destroyed communities.

The war caused massive destruction in the Gaza Strip, where more than 28,000 people have been killed, according to health officials in Hamas in Gaza. This number cannot be independently verified and includes about 10,000 Hamas fighters, whom Israel says it killed in battle and due to misfired rockets by the movement. Israel also says it killed about 1,000 militants inside Israel on October 7.