GAZA CEASE-FIRE TALKS REPORTEDLY IN 'TOUGH' SPOT, CIA CHIEF HEADS TO ISRAEL TO RESCUE DEAL

Gaza Cease-fire Talks Reportedly in 'Tough' Spot, CIA Chief Heads to Israel to Rescue Deal

'Israel refused to send a delegation to Egypt to discuss the deal even though Hamas replied in a positive spirit,' a source involved in the talks said. Hamas reiterated its position, demanding a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza

May 05th, 23PM May 05th, 23PM

The talks between Israel and Hamas on a hostage deal are in "tough" shape, a foreign official involved in the talks said on Sunday evening.

CIA Director William Burns is expected to arrive in Israel on Monday, following his visits to Egypt and Qatar in the past few days, as part of efforts to advance a deal for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and to halt the fighting in the Gaza Strip.

Burns was in Cairo over the weekend as part of the Biden administration's efforts towards reaching an agreement with all involved parties. After the talks did not lead to the breakthrough hoped for, Burns flew to Doha and met there on Sunday evening with the Qatari Prime Minister.

His arrival in Israel is aimed at increasing American pressure, primarily on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has issued a series of statements since Saturday against Hamas' demand to formally end the war in exchange for the release of the hostages.

Both Burns and the Qatari delegation to the talks left Cairo for Doha on Sunday "in an effort to find a way to pressure both Hamas and Israel to reach an agreement," said the foreign official. "They waited for the Israeli delegation in Egypt, but once they realized that it didn't intend to come, they left for Qatar," he added.

"Israel refused to send a delegation to Egypt to discuss the deal even though Hamas replied in a positive spirit," the foreign official charged. "Israel's approach to Hamas is 'take it or leave it,' and they have no interest in discussing the details."

"It's palpable that Netanyahu himself doesn't want the deal," he continued, referring to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "He isn't agreeing to conduct negotiations or clarify details that need clarification."

Hamas said on Sunday that it had given the Egyptian and Qatari mediators its response to their proposal for a cease-fire and the release of the Israeli hostages it holds in the Gaza Strip. "Hamas reiterated its position that it takes a positive and responsible approach to reaching an agreement that satisfies the Palestinian people's demands," the organization said in a statement.

These demands, the statement continued, include "completely ending the aggression, a full withdrawal from Gaza, the return of the displaced people, increased humanitarian aid, beginning reconstruction [of Gaza] and implementing a prisoner exchange deal." The statement said Hamas negotiators would leave Cairo Sunday night for further consultations with the organization's leadership in Doha.

In an interview on Sunday with the London-based Qatari news outlet The New Arab (Al Araby Al Jadeed), senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said that Israel "has focused solely on the prisoner exchange and hasn't acceded to the demands Hamas presented." He added that the Hamas delegation in Cairo had "discussed all the proposals with an open mind."

"Given the progress in the negotiations, the delegation left Cairo to consult with the organization's leadership in Doha," he continued. "We have reached a framework for a deal, and we're waiting for responses to this framework."

Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel "cannot accept" Hamas' demands to withdraw Israeli forces in Gaza, amid reports that the organization expressed willingness to accept a recent proposal presented by Egypt for a hostage and cease-fire agreement.

"Hamas remains fixed on its extreme positions, primarily the demand to withdraw all our forces from Gaza, end the war, and leave Hamas intact," Netanyahu said in a video posted on X. "That is not what we paid unbearably heavy prices for," he added.

Netanyahu added that Israel "will continue fighting until all its goals are achieved." According to the prime minister, the negotiation team was given broad maneuvering room to promote the release of the hostages and while Israel has shown a "willingness to go a significant distance," Hamas is hindering a deal.

2024-05-05T20:37:26Z dg43tfdfdgfd