A high-ranking security official from Egypt shared with Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the recent round of talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza and finalizing a deal for the release of hostages had progressed well. According to the official, mediators in Egypt and Qatar were close to presenting a nearly finalized draft agreement.
The official explained that this draft was intended to be delivered to the involved parties after Hamas presented an acceptable version of the terms, which would cover issues such as the timeline for withdrawal from Gaza, the cessation of hostilities, and the number of terrorist prisoners to be deported following their release.
At this stage in the discussions, the Egyptian official revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu unexpectedly “surprised” all parties with a “evasive” stance, which involved introducing new conditions regarding the prisoners’ release and the initial phase of Israeli forces’ withdrawal from Gaza.
A senior Hamas figure told the newspaper that the extensive modifications Netanyahu sought only delayed a potential agreement and compromised the gradual approach that all sides had previously agreed upon.
The Hamas official argued that Netanyahu’s stance suggested he favored a partial agreement, one in which all living hostages would be returned in a single phase.
{Matzav.com}