Hamas reportedly gave up its central demand on Saturday, which created hope for the negotiations to move forward.
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu uploaded four conditions for a cease-fire with the extremist organization Hamas on Israeli television on Sunday. The Israeli media reported on the matter The Times of Israel.
According to Netanyahu, Israel will not agree to negotiate the following conditions: The cease-fire agreement must allow Israel to continue its military operations in Gaza until its goals are achieved. Smuggling weapons from the Egyptian border to Gaza must not be possible. The agreement must not allow thousands of Hamas fighters to return to northern Gaza. Israel must also free as many living hostages as possible.
Netanyahu made the demands just before the Israeli delegation traveled to Egypt to continue negotiations.
The exit infuriated Israeli security officials and negotiators. Many of them accused Netanyahu in the Israeli media of sabotaging the ceasefire talks. A security source tells Channel 12 that Netanyahu says he wants a cease-fire, but is actually seeking to prolong negotiations until his speech to the US Congress in late July and the Israeli parliament’s summer break.
A Hamas source interviewed by the news agency Reuters said on Saturday that the organization has agreed to give up its key demand that Israel should agree to a permanent ceasefire before signing the agreement. Now Hamas would therefore accept a six-week ceasefire, during which a continuation would be negotiated.
This has created hope that the fighting could be stopped for the first time since November.
Source: Reuters