(CNN) — Even as long-stalled talks to try to secure the release of the hostages and reach a ceasefire in Gaza resume in the coming days, there is little expectation of a breakthrough before the US presidential election in less than two weeks, officials told CNN. The reality of the election’s impact was also underscored this week when former President Donald Trump revealed he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu multiple times in recent days. Top negotiators from the United States, Israel and Qatar are slated to meet in Doha on Sunday to discuss efforts to reach an agreement – the first high-level gathering in more than two months – as US officials have argued for renewed momentum following Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
However, privately, some US officials acknowledge that Netanyahu – intimately familiar with and tracking the ins and outs of the presidential election in the US and the potential implications on US foreign policy – is waiting to make any serious decisions about the future of the Gaza conflict until he knows who his next counterpart in Washington, DC, will be. In the days after Sinwar’s death, Biden advisers expressed cautious optimism that ceasefire discussions could resume – with Secretary of State Antony Blinken embarking on his eleventh trip to the region, including a two-and-a-half-hour meeting with Netanyahu. But during that time, Netanyahu was soliciting input from Trump, the Republican nominee.
Trump cla.