Back to War. Hopes for Hostages Dim As Gaza Truce Breaks Down and Israel Recalls Negotiators From Qatar

streiff  reporting  for  RedState 

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recalled Mossad Chief David Barnea and all Israeli negotiators from Qatar on Saturday, citing a "dead end" in talks; this signals a new round of hostilities is in the offing.

The original ceasefire that went into effect on November 24 collapsed Friday when Hamas reneged on a promise to release 10 Israeli women and offered to discuss the release of elderly men. According to Palestinian sources, the truce broke down over the refusal of Hamas to release female Israeli soldiers as part of the agreed-upon release of women. A local Hamas leader said there would be no more releases until Israel ended offensive operations.

The negotiations in Qatar were focused on the release of Israeli men taken hostage by Hamas after their ill-advised terrorist assault on Israel began on October 7.

My guess is that the refusal to release women soldiers is about this: the fact that men and women known to have been taken hostage are now known to have been killed in captivity

And statements like this by senior Hamas leaders 

... have probably convinced Israeli leadership that they have all the hostages Hamas is willing to release, and the remainder are either dead or Hamas intends to try to drag out a ceasefire indefinitely via negotiations. 

Without the hope of a hostage release in exchange, there was no percentage in Israel giving Hamas more time to regroup, and a lot to be said for striking quickly to perhaps free any hostages that remain alive.