The issue of a complete cessation of armed conflict in the Gaza Strip has emerged as a significant obstacle in a potential deal between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas regarding a ceasefire and the release of hostages. This was reported on Sunday by the Axios portal, citing sources.
According to these sources, Hamas seeks the guarantee that fulfilling all terms of the deal will result in a permanent halt to hostilities, a condition with which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disagrees.
Axios notes that amid challenges in the negotiation process, the US, Qatar, and Egypt have intensified efforts to prevent the collapse of the talks. An Israeli official disclosed that mediators are focused on finding a mutually acceptable formula, but have yet to achieve success. "It doesn't look promising. There is currently no such formula, and it seems we're not getting any closer to one," the official stated.
According to Axios, Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns, who arrived earlier in Qatar for discussions with Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdel Rahman Al-Thani, will continue talks in Doha on Monday before traveling to Israel later in the week to meet with Netanyahu and other officials. The collapse of the talks, as emphasized by the portal, would lead to a new escalation of the conflict, potentially including an Israeli ground invasion of Rafah, a town in the southern Gaza Strip.
On May 5, Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh affirmed that the movement remains committed to reaching a comprehensive ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. Haniyeh stressed that the final agreement must entail an end to Israeli aggression, a substantial prisoner exchange, and the withdrawal of enemy troops from the enclave.
Earlier, Egyptian TV channel Sada al-Balad reported progress on the technical aspects of a potential agreement during negotiations in Cairo. However, individual participants cautioned that even if Hamas accepts the proposal, reaching agreement on specific details necessary for a truce could be protracted and challenging.
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Based on materials from TASS