Israel is said to have given Hamas an ultimatum for a ceasefire agreement and the release of more hostages. The Islamists signaled that they would give in. Will there be a breakthrough soon in Cairo?
Before a new round of negotiations on the war in Gaza, the terrorist organization Hamas has signaled that it will give in. There are still points to be discussed and clarifications to be made, but overall they are traveling to Cairo with a “positive attitude” to the indirect negotiations in order to reach an agreement, Hamas circles said.
A delegation will arrive in the Egyptian capital today, the Islamist organization confirmed. According to the media, indirect negotiations on the release of hostages and a ceasefire will continue there.
William Burns, head of the US secret service CIA, arrived in Cairo yesterday, the news portal “Axios” reported, citing three sources familiar with the process.
Report: Israel gave Hamas one more week
Israel has given Hamas a week to agree to a ceasefire agreement, Egyptian officials familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal. Otherwise, Israel will launch the announced ground offensive on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.
According to the newspaper, Egypt worked with Israel to prepare a revised ceasefire proposal, which it presented to Hamas last weekend. Hamas’ exiled political leadership was expected to consult and respond to its Gaza military wing led by Jihia al-Sinwar, the newspaper wrote.
But Sinwar, who is believed to be hiding in Hamas tunnels under the sealed-off coastal area and making the final decisions, did not respond, they said. Egyptian officials then delivered the message from Israel to Hamas on Thursday with a week’s notice. This would mean Hamas would have until next week to agree to a deal.
Hamas circles said the answer would be “positive.” The Times of Israel quoted a statement from the terrorist organization as saying that they are determined to reach an agreement that meets the demands of the Palestinians.
Report: Signs of Hamas giving in
The subject of the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, in which Egypt, Qatar and the USA are mediating, is a proposal that envisages the release of hostages held by Hamas and the cessation of hostilities by Israel in several phases, the news portal reported ” Axios”.
Similar attempts had failed in the past because Hamas made Israel’s final end to the war a condition for even a partial release of hostages. Most recently, observers had assumed that Hamas would also reject this multi-stage mediation proposal. However, according to Axios, senior Israeli officials have now recognized “first signs” that the Islamists could agree to the first phase of the deal – the release of women, children, elderly and injured among the hostages during a temporary ceasefire – without to insist, as before, that Israel commits itself from the outset to ending the war.
Insiders dampen expectations
However, a senior Israeli official told the Times of Israel that a deal was imminent. “Although the mediators express optimism, Israel has not yet heard that Hamas is ready to move away from its maximum positions,” the official was quoted as saying.
Israeli broadcaster Kan reported, citing a Palestinian source, that the Hamas delegation would not initially provide a response to the latest proposal for an agreement in Cairo. According to the source, the delegation wants to continue negotiations. One of their most important demands is a guarantee that Israel will agree to an end to the war in return for the release of hostages.
Blinken: Only Hamas stands between the people of Gaza and the ceasefire
Before the negotiations began, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made it clear that it was now up to Hamas to facilitate a ceasefire. “We’re waiting to see whether they can actually accept a yes answer to the ceasefire and the release of the hostages,” Blinken said. “The reality right now is that the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas.”
Blinken pointed out the difficulties in negotiations with the terrorist organization Hamas. The leaders of Hamas, with whom the US negotiated indirectly over Qatar and Egypt, “of course live outside Gaza,” the foreign minister said. But the actual decision-makers are people who are in the Gaza Strip and with whom “none of us has direct contact.”