Key mediator Egypt is expressing skepticism about the proposal meant to bridge gaps in cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas.
Key mediator Egypt expressed skepticism Wednesday about the proposal meant to bridge gaps in cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas as more details emerged a day before negotiations were expected to resume in Cairo.
Diplomatic efforts have redoubled as fears grow of a wider regional war after the recent targeted killings of leaders of the militant Hamas and Hezbollah groups, both blamed on Israel, and threats of retaliation.
“The Americans are offering promises, not guarantees,” the official said. “Hamas won’t accept this, because it virtually means Hamas will release the civilian hostages in return for a six-week pause of fighting with no guarantees for a negotiated permanent cease-fire.”
He also said the proposal doesn’t clearly say Israel will withdraw its forces from two strategic corridors in Gaza, the Philadelphi corridor alongside Gaza’s border with Egypt and the Netzarim east-west corridor across the territory. Israel offers to downsize its forces in the Philadelphi corridor, with “promises” to withdraw from the area, he said.
Most of the news of the rest of the world agrees that this war only takes this long because Netanyahou wants it to. Not israel but Netanyahou. When this war stops, so does his career
He does not have any interest in stopping it before he starts a new war with someone else
Yes. I believe that the truth is a lot more visible when you take a step back and see the situation from a distance. The situation can and should be stopped a lot faster but there is no motivation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has an “incentive to perpetuate this as long as possible”, Omar Rahman, a fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs
And Netanyahu faces anger from some quarters at home. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, a powerful voice in Israel, has for months repeatedly called on Israel and Hamas to finalize a hostage-and-ceasefire deal.