Israel confirms that there has been slight progress in the indirect talks with Hamas on the issue of the prisoner deal and the day after in Gaza. However, as of now, there is no breakthrough. The talks are taking place simultaneously through both Egypt and Qatar, with Israel hoping that one of the channels will lead to a breakthrough.
Emir of Qatar and Prime Minister Netanyahu, Photo: Reuters and Amos Ben-Gershom
According to estimates, the maturation of a deal will take time. On the other hand, if there is significant flexibility on the part of Hamas, the situation may change and things may move quickly. It should be noted that Israel's military pressure on Hamas has direct implications for the chances of advancing a deal of abductees and perhaps even rescuing some of them using military tools, according to the IDF.
Trucks carrying humanitarian aid make their way from Egypt to Gaza through the Rafah crossing (archive), photo: Getty Images
The political echelon says that the framework of the deal, which will include the release of dozens of abductees and a long ceasefire, is on the agenda, and is expected to be the bridge between the end of the fighting currently taking place in Gaza and the third stage, which will include more focused actions.
A temporary ceasefire in the middle in favor of releasing dozens of hostages is perceived as a price that can be paid, since the war is not close to ending and is expected for many more months. Last week's War Cabinet discussed the Qatari axis and was updated on some progress, despite Hamas declarations that they demanded a complete ceasefire.
Benny Gantz: Those around him are furious at Netanyahu for postponing the discussion about the day after, Photo: Noam Rivkin Fenton/Flash90
Those around Gantz are outraged by Netanyahu's decision to postpone the discussion on the day after in Gaza. Among other things, the claim is that Netanyahu succumbed to Ben-Gvir's political pressure out of a desire to preserve his government. According to them, "a discussion about the day after within the broad framework of the security cabinet will not allow for a serious and complex process that must first be conducted in a smaller forum." However, while the work of the military and security echelons on the possibilities for the day after is in full swing, Netanyahu's government partners, Religious Zionism Chairman Bezalel Smotrich and Otzma Yehudit Chairman Ben-Gvir, demand full participation in the approaching decisive moments.
Therefore, this week on Tuesday, the issue will be discussed in the expanded cabinet, while a similar discussion has not yet been held in the war cabinet, in which only Gantz and Eisenkot are partners alongside Netanyahu and Galant.
Meanwhile, this week the Defense Ministry will hold a discussion on the return of residents from the envelope to their communities. On the agenda is first, residents from six localities, including Sderot and Yad Mordechai, with the possibility of residents who wish to do so extending their stay in hotels. According to the recommendations of the military echelon, there is nothing preventing the residents from returning to their homes, but as stated, the discussion and recommendations on the matter will be held and officially published during the week.
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