The parents of Adi who fell in the Gaza Strip: "We must return the abductees, our children are being killed for them" / Yoav Itiel
The talks that took place in Cairo between Israel, the US, Qatar and Egypt on the subject of the abductees ended without a breakthrough, but progress was made in understanding the gaps that must be closed in order to enter into negotiations that may lead to a deal, said an Israeli source who was informed of the details of the meeting.
why is it important:
Israeli and American sources said that the main gap in the talks that prevents moving to more advanced negotiations was and remains the high number of prisoners that Hamas demands to be released for each Israeli abductee, and especially for the female soldiers who are in captivity.
CIA Director William Burns testifies before the House Intelligence Committee about the threats on Capitol Hill, USA, March 9, 2023/Reuters
What they say:
"It was a good meeting and all the parties that participated are making a significant effort to try to bring about a breakthrough. There was an in-depth discussion of the various gaps that remain, including the issue of the prisoners. All parties left with homework after which it will be possible to see if the conditions for effective negotiations are met," said the Israeli source who was informed privately the contacts
What next:
The Israeli source said that the Egyptian and Qatari mediators are supposed to hold talks with Hamas in the coming days in an attempt to understand whether Hamas's demands regarding the prisoners were only opening positions that the organization would be willing to flex in order to enter into more serious negotiations.
"Without a significant decrease in the number of prisoners that Hamas demands, there will be no progress," said the Israeli source.
Head of Mossad Dadi Barnea/official website, Avshalom Sashoni
An Israeli delegation arrived for the talks in Cairo, which also included the head of the Mossad, Dedi Barnea, and the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar. In Cairo, they met the representatives of the participating countries, including the head of the American CIA, William Burns, and the Prime Minister of Qatar, Muhammad bin Abdel-Rahman Al-Thani
. Nitzan Alon, the IDF commissioner for the issue of abductees in Gaza, was scheduled to participate in the talks, but in the end did not join the delegation - due to Netanyahu's decision not to give a mandate to the negotiating team to present new positions, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Those who did join the delegation He is Netanyahu's political advisor, Ofir Falk.
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