There were never high expectations, except perhaps in White House public statements, but now Israeli media is confirming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recalled his negotiating team from Qatar as Gaza ceasefire talks have floundered.

This should come as no surprise, given that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have recently announced an expansion of ground operations in Gaza, and into the central part of the Strip. This also comes as scores of Palestinians are killed daily, with in some instances shootings happening while large groups rush aid stations.

According to two of the latest updates via the Times of Israel:

Prior to the Israeli team being recalled from Doha, reports indicated that Hamas offered to trade 10 Israeli hostages for 200 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences.

Hamas further wanted some 2,000 Palestinians who have been detained since the war's start to be included in the prisoner swap.

Israel reportedly pushed for a 2-kilometer demilitarized buffer inside the Strip, while Hamas is said to have countered with one kilometer. All of this may be moot from the start, given much more land mass has already been utterly destroyed, and Israel is believed to be paving the way for eventual new settlements.

Times of Israel is further reporting, citing a source privy to negotiations, that US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff shares Israel's view that Hamas’s recent proposal is insufficient and won't get the warring sides to the goal line.

In Israel, the families of the hostage victims are going to be further outraged at what they see as another opportunity to get their loved ones home pass by.

Netanyahu has clearly prioritized the defeat of Hamas, however, to ensure it can never rule Gaza again. And so he has refused to contemplate anything less than a military solution, apparently.