Difficulties in negotiations: Arab reports continue on the lack of progress in talks on a ceasefire between Israel and Islamic Jihad.
According to Arab media reports, Egypt demanded that Islamic Jihad stop the rocket fire, but the organization refused. According to reports, since a large part of the organization's leadership has been eliminated by the IDF, there are difficulties in making decisions in the organization. The Egyptians will continue their efforts to achieve a ceasefire on Saturday.
In addition, the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen network reported from its sources that the negotiations for a lull in Egypt have encountered many difficulties and that there has been no real breakthrough so far. According to the report, the main obstacle is Israel's refusal to make any commitment to end its assassination policy. Jihad and terrorist organizations rejected the idea of a ceasefire without such a commitment. The sources added that "the chance of a large-scale campaign is greater than the chance of quiet."
Yesterday, Israel Hayom reported that people close to Islamic Jihad in Gaza said that if there is no progress in negotiations, the group is prepared to continue fighting until the expected date of the flag parade in Jerusalem next week, a date that has become a focal point of tension in recent years.
The source added, "Jihad wants a commitment by Israel to stop the assassinations, and is not willing to settle for an Egyptian promise. He wants something concrete from the Israelis. It doesn't have to be in the form of a written document, even verbal commitments can provide it, as long as they have binding validity." The source added that this was a lesson the organization learned from the fighting in August 2022 (Operation Dawn), when at the end of the operation the Egyptians pledged that Israel would release jihadist Bassam Saadi, while Israel later denied this commitment in the media.
Regarding Hamas' involvement in the talks and in the Gaza Strip, other sources in Gaza clarified that the organization ruling the Gaza Strip is not involved in the negotiations and cannot impose its opinion on Islamic Jihad.
Shooting into Jerusalem
Yesterday, Israel Hayom, citing sources close to the jihadist organization, reported that the rocket fire into Jerusalem was carried out out of a desire to exert pressure on Israel as part of the ceasefire negotiations. Now the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is close to Hezbollah, reports that Palestinian sources reported that the launches towards the Jerusalem area came after "consultation" between the terrorist organizations in the joint operations room, which includes Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
According to the report, the terrorist organizations aspire to turn the campaign from a response to the assassinations of senior jihadists to "defend Jerusalem." Against this background, the sources reported that the operations room was examining options for continuing the round of fighting until the flag parade planned for next week. So if the operation continues, the confrontation will go in a direction that will focus on Jerusalem and begin a "second phase."
At the same time, senior Islamic Jihad official Dawood Shehab said the launches into the Jerusalem area were "a message that the eye of the resistance is open on Jerusalem and is watching everything that is happening there and everything that the enemy is planning there. The campaign is approaching the time of the flag parade. It encourages us to keep going. As far as we are concerned, the cessation of negotiations (for a ceasefire) or the continuation of them are the same. We were not told to stop and we are in an ongoing campaign and ready for many large options."
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