9/5/2024–|Last updated: 5/9/202403:20 PM (Mecca time)
Member of the Political Bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Izzat al-Rishq, said on Thursday that the movement’s negotiating delegation left Cairo heading to Doha, after a round of negotiations in the Egyptian capital to reach an agreement regarding the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, Al-Rishq affirmed Hamas’ commitment and adherence to its position in approving the paper presented by the mediators, which the movement announced its approval of last Monday.
He added that Israel’s invasion of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, and occupation of the crossing aimed to block the efforts of the mediators and escalate the aggression and war of extermination.
This morning, the American CNN network quoted a source as saying that CIA Director William Burns returned from Tel Aviv to Cairo to continue negotiations.
Yesterday, Wednesday, Burns met in Israel with Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the heads of the Israeli Foreign Intelligence Service (Mossad) David Barnea and the Israeli Internal Security Service (Shin Bet) Ronen Bar, to discuss halting the attack on Rafah in exchange for the release of Israeli detainees.
Before heading to Tel Aviv, Burns extended his stay in Doha on Monday in an attempt to salvage negotiations before Israel begins its attack east of Rafah.
For its part, the White House said that talks are continuing regarding a possible agreement in Gaza, and that the gap between the two sides can be bridged. He added – in a statement – that reaching a “hostage deal” is the top priority of President Joe Biden’s administration, and would lead to a ceasefire.
Hamas agreed to a proposed three-stage agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza and an exchange of prisoners and detainees, but an Israeli official said that the proposed agreement was unacceptable to Israel due to the “watering down” of its terms, as he put it.