A senior Israeli diplomatic official pushed back against suggestions for a lasting ceasefire with Hamas, emphasizing that Israel remains focused on hostage negotiations but is reaching the limits of its patience.
“Ideas are flowing from some of the Arab countries, such as a cessation of the war for five years,” the official said. “There is no way that we will agree to a truce with Hamas that will only allow it to re-arm, recover, and continue its war with even more power.”
Explaining Israel’s cautious approach after the last ceasefire, the official noted, “The reason that we did not begin fighting powerfully at the conclusion of the ceasefire, and only did so gradually is because we wanted to give negotiations for the hostages’ release a chance. We want to do our utmost to bring the hostages home and that is what influences our plans of action. We are still trying to do our utmost to release the hostages through a deal, but our patience is not infinite.”
The diplomat also criticized Qatar’s involvement at this stage of the talks, stating, “The Qataris had a less-than-positive influence on the negotiations at this stage.”
When asked about President Donald Trump’s idea of encouraging Gaza emigration, the official acknowledged that progress has been slow, but added, “We are receiving requests from Arab countries asking us to evacuate their citizens. For instance, Canada turned to us and said that there are relatives who wish to go there. Our principle is to bring out those people who want to leave of their own free will, and who, on the flip side, there are countries willing to accept them.”
Turning to the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran, the official remarked, “We have discourse with the Americans; the discourse is not one-sided and we are also expressing our positions. There is constant conversation on a great many levels. It’s best not to make premature assumptions – there is a positive and close relationship between the governments. [US envoy Steve] Witkoff’s statements regarding dismantling the interface and enrichment were important – as were those of Secretary of State [Marco] Rubio regarding the enrichment outside of Iran. The US is committed to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.”
{Matzav.com Israel}