Israel says negotiators will head to Cairo
Netanyahu’s office says Israeli negotiators will be travelling to Cairo again tomorrow night or early Sunday to further discuss a Gaza ceasefire and exchange deal as pressure builds.
The statement, cited by Times of Israel and Jerusalem Post, said contrary to reports, Israel is still moving ahead with the late May proposal presented by Biden, and it has not added new demands.
According to Netanyahu’s office, no agreement has yet been reached on the number of living captives held in Gaza to be released, Israel’s military occupation of the Philadephi Corridor, and the return of displaced Palestinians to the cut-off northern part of the enclave.
It specifically rejected as “incorrect” a report by Israeli media that said Mossad chief David Barnea has said an agreement is ready and Israel must take it soon or risk losing it.
Netanyahu has repeatedly said that Israel will fight until “total victory” in Gaza. Moreover, Israel is the chief suspect in assassinating Hamas leader Haniyeh, who was the top negotiator for the Palestinian group.
What a mess...
‘Netanyahu does not want to stop the war’: Hamas official
In response to the Israeli announcement that the country is sending ceasefire negotiators to Cairo, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri tells Reuters: “Netanyahu does not want to stop the war and is using these empty statements to cover up his crimes and evade their consequences.”
The Israeli prime minister’s office had accused Hamas of stifling the talks amid reports in Israel that security officials are pushing Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire deal.
Yes, it's on the US to stop this war as Netanyahu won't as long as he has 'ironclad' support from the US.
Hamas says will remain solid and maintain its line
Hamas official Mohammad Nazzal has said that the Palestinian group “will remain solid and maintain the rights of its people and will not make concessions that divide [lessen] the balance of the Palestinian people”.
At a mourning house for Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Doha, Nazal said: “Netanyahu believes that the assassination of Haniyeh can break the will of the Palestinian people and resistance at the negotiation table and outside [it]. Netanyahu is delusional.
“Hamas is an institutionalised movement with legislative institutions, and it is the decision-maker in dealing with any event that takes place within the movement, so I assure the public opinion that Hamas will maintain its line.
“The leading institutions of Hamas will certainly discuss what happened with Haniyeh and will take the appropriate decisions regarding the management of the movement’s affairs during the next phase.”
Iran-led axis can now ‘direct fate of the region’: Analyst
Netanyahu has said Israel is sending a negotiating team to Cairo for ceasefire talks in the coming days, but Tel Aviv-based commentator Ori Goldberg says such announcements usually do not come from the Prime Minister’s Office.
“This time, it seems like it is an effort directly organised by the prime minister, which may mean he has given the team a mandate to negotiate more briskly and perhaps even reach a deal,” Goldberg told Al Jazeera.
He added that the assassination of Haniyeh and the Israeli confirmation of the death of Mohammed Deif – regardless of whether it is true – could potentially supply Israel with a victory image that will allow it to declare mission accomplished in Gaza even if it is “hollow”.
“I don’t think the current situation is sustainable at all,” Goldberg said. “But the axis of resistance now has the advantage. They can now direct the fate of the region. Israel has exhausted its options. [The] most it can do is assassinate some more and try to escalate some more. Israel is a one-trick pony.
“The axis now has the option of choosing what kind of retaliation will take place [and] deciding how many fronts are going to be opened as a result of this assassination. The tables have turned.”
