After strenuous attempts in recent days to formulate a deal for the release of the abductees, the AP news agency reports today (Tuesday) from an Egyptian source close to the agreement efforts that Hamas rejected the offer that was made to it.
As part of it, Israel proposed that in exchange for the release of the abductees, there would be a two-month ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and senior Hamas officials would be allowed to leave the Strip.
However, according to the same source, Hamas conditioned the release of all the abductees only in exchange for a complete withdrawal of the IDF from the Gaza Strip and a cessation of hostilities.
In response to the aforementioned publication, an Israeli political official involved in the negotiations commented: "We do not know of an official response from Hamas to the proposal we made."
Continued American pressure to sign a deal to release the abductees, photo: Amos Ben Gershom LLC
The talks between Israel and the mediators - Egypt and Qatar, as well as between them in front of Hamas, take place on a daily basis, and despite what has been said, there is hope on the Israeli side for a breakthrough in the coming days.
Foreign reports describe ongoing tensions between Hamas leaders in a bunker in Gaza versus those staying in hotels in Qatar and around the world.
This tension has so far prevented - 12 days after the Israeli proposal was placed on the table - operational progress to the chagrin of Qatar, Egypt and above all the US which is pressing for a new deal.
So far, the Hamas leadership has not been able to reach an agreement even on this tempting proposal from the mediators and the US. In Israel, the leaders of Hamas did not veto the exile, but ruled that it would not be a substitute for the overthrow of Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, in Israel they continue to emphasize: the goal to return The abductees will not come at the expense of the goals of the war to defeat Hamas, but it can be given priority for a certain period in order to return the citizens of Israel to their homes. The effort to return the abductees may also come at the expense of "offensive momentum" created in Khan Yunis and its surroundings.
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