Tel Aviv: Israel sees the latest efforts to achieve a ceasefire and a hostage deal in the Gaza war as a “last chance” before the planned attack on the city of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, according to media reports.
According to a senior Israeli official, the talks between Egyptian and Israeli representatives in Tel Aviv on Friday were “very good” and focused. The Egyptians were apparently prepared to put pressure on the Palestinian militant organization Hamas in order to reach an agreement.
Progress had been made in all areas of the talks, the Times of Israel quoted reports late on Friday evening. Previously, the state-affiliated Egyptian television station Al-Qahira News had also reported considerable progress.
The Israeli official was quoted as saying that Israel would not allow Hamas, in particular its leader in the Gaza Strip, Yahya al-Sinwar, to delay a hostage deal in order to prevent the planned military offensive in Rafah.
The army had mobilised two more reserve brigades a few days ago.
Al-Sinwar is considered to have been the mastermind of the massacre in Israel on October 7 last year, in which around 1,200 Israeli soldiers and civilians were killed and more than 200 people were abducted to Gaza. Israeli forces believe al-Sinwar is hiding in tunnels below Rafah.
“This is the last chance before we go to Rafah,” the Times of Israel quoted the unnamed Israeli government official as saying. “It’s either an agreement in the future or Rafah.”
Israel wants to smash the last remaining Hamas battalions in the town in southern Gaza, which borders Egypt. According to Israeli media, Egypt wants to reach an agreement to avert the assault on Rafah. Egypt is concerned that large numbers of Palestinians could cross the border.
More than a million civilians have fled from the fighting in the rest of the Gaza Strip and sought refuge in Rafah.
According to the Israeli media, the latest talks between Egyptian and Israeli representatives were initially intended to focus on a limited agreement with Hamas, whereby only some female, elderly and sick hostages would be released. Hamas had rejected a US proposal to release 40 such abductees.
According to them, there aren’t that many hostages left alive who fall into these categories.
Hamas looks for a full ceasfire in Gaza
On the other hand, Hamas has also reportedly announced its openness to any ideas or proposals for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The group said in a statement on Friday that Hamas is “open to any ideas or proposals that take into account the needs and rights of our people”, Xinhua news agency reported.
The statement proposed a permanent ceasefire, withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza, and unconditional or restricted return of displaced persons to their homes in Gaza and North Gaza governorates and across the Strip.
The statement emphasized accompanying measures such as reconstruction, ending the blockade, fulfilling humanitarian needs, and advancing a prisoner exchange agreement, all aligned with the realization of Palestinian national rights and the establishment of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.
It comes as Israeli public radio reported the arrival of Abbas Kamel, the head of the Egyptian intelligence leading an Egyptian security delegation to Israel as part of talks to resume the exchange deal with Hamas.
Israeli radio reported that Kamel will meet in Tel Aviv with the head of the Mossad, David Barnea, and the head of the National Security Council, Tzahi Hanegbi.
The radio mentioned that the Israeli team managing the negotiations presented new proposals to the “War Cabinet” last night, requiring flexibility from the Israeli side.
According to a source familiar with the negotiations, the current proposal for the hostage deal entails the release of 33 hostages, comprising women, soldiers, adults, and the wounded.
According to the source, the duration of the ceasefire within the agreement will depend on the number of hostages to be released.
An Israeli security official reported significant progress in bridging the viewpoints between the Egyptian and Israeli delegations regarding reaching a ceasefire in the sector.
Qatari and Egyptian mediators, along with the United States, are seeking to reach a deal for a prisoner exchange and a second ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, following the first one that lasted until early December last year.
Israel estimates that there are about 134 Israeli hostages in Gaza, while Hamas announced the killing of 70 of them in Israeli indiscriminate airstrikes.
Israel holds more than 9,000 Palestinian prisoners in its jails, whose conditions have worsened since its war on Gaza began, resulting in deaths among them, according to Palestinian organizations concerned with prisoners.
Meanwhile, Hamas said it followed with interest the statement issued by the White House, signed by 18 countries, which primarily called for the immediate release of hostages in the Gaza Strip.
“We express our regret for the statement not addressing fundamental issues for our people, who suffer under a comprehensive genocide war, and for not emphasizing the necessity of a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of the occupation army from the Gaza Strip.”
The statement urged the international community to expose the genocide targeting children and civilians in Gaza, prioritize ending it, and resist Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s destabilizing policies aimed at the region, driven by personal political motives.
Eighteen countries issued a joint statement on Thursday, calling on Hamas to “immediately release” the hostages it holds, stating that doing so “will lead to an immediate and long-term ceasefire in Gaza.”
Referring to nations with citizens held captive by Hamas since the attack on Israel last year, these countries stated that releasing the hostages “will facilitate additional humanitarian aid to all parts of Gaza and bring about a lasting cessation of hostilities.”
The statement explained that, in addition, residents in Gaza “will be able to return to their homes and lands with prior arrangements to ensure shelter and humanitarian assistance.”
The statement added, “Let us end this crisis so that we can all focus our efforts on bringing peace and stability to the region.”
