Channel 12 Israel quoted the Jewish Power Party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, as confirming its continued opposition to the exchange deal with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), yesterday, Monday, while the Broadcasting Authority reported that Washington realized that the deal was not close, amid anticipation of US President Joe Biden discussing developments in the negotiations.
Ben-Gvir’s party described the deal as “illegal,” saying it would bring more deaths and detainees to Israel.
The party stressed that it would oppose participating in any negotiations “aimed at blackmailing Israel and making concessions that would lead to disaster,” as it put it.
The party also described Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s call to form a unity government to return the detainees as “irresponsible and cooperating with Hamas propaganda.”
Yesterday, during a meeting with the families of female soldiers held captive in the Gaza Strip, Herzog called on the Israeli political system to take the necessary decisions to return the detainees, saying that the deal has costs, but that not returning the prisoners will have major repercussions on the Israelis.
Plan for the North
In a related context, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation confirmed that the US administration realized that the deal was not imminent and began working on a plan for a solution in the north.
She said that Israeli officials informed the White House that they do not know how long they can wait to reach a diplomatic solution in the north, following the announcement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he had issued instructions to change the situation in the north, without further details.
On Monday, US National Security Council Strategic Communications Advisor John Kirby accused Hamas of being the main obstacle to reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, claiming that the movement had changed some of its conditions.
He said Washington still believes a ceasefire is worth the effort even “given Hamas’s new adjustments.”
Hamas confirmed yesterday that what the occupation and American sources are promoting about new demands for the movement is “a lie and an attempt to evade their responsibility for disrupting the negotiations and stopping the aggression against the Palestinian people.”
Upcoming meeting
The US President is expected to hold a meeting with his national security team today, Tuesday, to discuss the “dead end” reached in the ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations in Gaza, according to the Axios website.
In turn, Israeli Channel 13 quoted officials as saying that the United States is “reconsidering” the mediation proposal it intends to present, and that this is due to Washington’s realization that the current atmosphere does not allow for the proposal to be presented, and it does not want it to fail.
For months, Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been leading indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel, which are still faltering due to Israel’s rejection of Hamas’s demands to end the war, withdraw its forces from the Gaza Strip and return displaced Palestinians to the north of the Strip.
Source : The Island + Israeli press + Anadolu Agency