Cairo talks end for the day with no agreement
A senior Hamas source close to the negotiations in Egypt told AFP news agency there has been “no developments” and the day’s talks “have ended”. “Tomorrow, a new round will begin,” the unnamed Hamas official said.
Israel has given a preliminary nod to terms that one source said included the return of between 20 and 33 hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a truce of several weeks.
Hamas is seeking guarantees for a permanent end to Israel’s devastating war on Gaza that has killed more than 34,000 people, mostly women and children, with famine now ravaging its north.
It seems Israel thinks that by lowering the amount of hostages to exchange they can get Hamas to agree to a humanitarian pause rather than a sustained ceasefire. 40 day ceasefire is now several weeks, getting shorter. Hamas isn't going to take that deal :/
Hamas: Israel still refuses to end war during ceasefire talks
A senior Hamas official tells Al Jazeera, “The occupation is obstructing an agreement by insisting on continuing the war. The Zionist entity is seeking a deal to recover its captives without linking this to ending the aggression.”
The Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity, reiterated the group will “under no circumstances agree to an agreement that does not explicitly include stopping the war on Gaza”.
He accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being the main obstacle to getting a deal done. “Our information confirms Netanyahu is obstructing an agreement for personal reasons.”
Netanyahu – who faces criminal trials in Israel and potential war crimes charges abroad – has been accused of extending the attack on Gaza to remain in power.
‘Negotiate now, resign later’: Israeli protesters demand action from PM
Several thousand people demonstrated in Tel Aviv in favour of a negotiated release of Israeli captives held in Gaza. There was also loud criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and calls for new elections. Protesters held banners and signs saying, “Negotiate now, resign later.”
The father of one of Israeli captive said the far-right government’s own survival seemed more important than the hostages. He called on the government to agree to a ceasefire in exchange for their return.
People attend a protest calling for the immediate release of those kidnapped
Israeli opposition leader demands Netanyahu send negotiators to Cairo
’50-50 chance’ of truce negotiations succeeding
Tamer Qarmout, a professor at the Doha Institute of Graduate Studies, says the US government needs to step in to save the latest round of Israel-Hamas truce talks.
“I think the situation has worsened because we have just received statements from the Israeli side, especially Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who bluntly told Netanyahu not to send a delegation to Cairo and reminded him of his commitment a couple of days ago that he must invade Rafah,” Qarmout told Al Jazeera.
“It’s a very tricky time. There is a 50-50 chance of talks succeeding. I think if the Americans don’t step in and put their weight behind these negotiations, I feel they will collapse.”
‘A deal on the table, government needs to go ahead and sign’
There has been a sense of growing frustration. We’ve heard from demonstrators throughout the evening because they’re saying this is a critical time, a crucial moment, and a ceasefire should be entered into.
Over the last hour, we’ve heard chants over and over again from people saying, “look there’s a deal on the table, the government needs to go ahead and sign”. They’re afraid if a deal doesn’t get done now, it may never come to fruition.
The crowd here wants to see a delegation sent to Cairo. The government has said for days now, it won’t send a team to Egypt until it gets a positive response from Hamas to the latest offer. News reports in the last hour say far-right ministers are thanking Netanyahu for not sending a delegation to Cairo.
Far-right ministers in Netanyahu’s coalition have repeatedly said they don’t want a ceasefire, which would mean an end to the war and no invasion of Rafah. It’s a very complicated situation, a very fraught moment.
Essay Pro