Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said the Israeli government should conclude a prisoner exchange deal with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), amid reports that Washington is preparing to present a new proposal for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal.
Lapid added, after meeting with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan at the White House, that the war fronts can wait, but the prisoners in Gaza cannot, stressing that “the time of the kidnapped in Hamas tunnels is running out, and every hour that passes brings them closer to their death, and we must reach a deal to return them.”
Lapid warned of a fierce war that could break out between Tel Aviv and Hezbollah and cause harm to Israel, and called for efforts to prevent it, noting that there are about 60,000 Israelis who have not been living in their homes in the north for about a year.
He said that Hezbollah is destroying a region that has grown and flourished, serving Iran and destroying Lebanon and the lives of its citizens, according to him.
He added, “We have given a lot of time to diplomatic activity, and we are close to the danger of a fierce war that threatens large parts of Israel, and everyone who can prevent it must make every effort to do so.”
For her part, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas said that her country is working with Egypt and Qatar to find a way to move forward in negotiations that is acceptable to both parties.
She added that despite the efforts made to draft the texts, it is ultimately a matter of political will.
New proposal
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted a foreign diplomat familiar with the prisoner negotiations between Hamas and Israel as saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s adherence to the Philadelphi Corridor in Gaza was and remains the main reason for the failure of the exchange deal.
The diplomat told Haaretz that he does not believe Netanyahu has any basis to stick to his position on the Philadelphi corridor at this time. Haaretz added that Netanyahu has long since lost the trust of the United States and mediators regarding his willingness to reach a swap deal.
In turn, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said that Washington will present a mediation proposal this week in an attempt to save the prisoner exchange deal.
The newspaper added that the United States is pressuring mediators to convince Hamas to show flexibility in the negotiations, and quoted informed sources as saying that there are developments in the context of pressuring Hamas and presenting the American proposal.
Yedioth Ahronoth reported that estimates indicate that Washington will exert pressure on Israel to make concessions if Hamas agrees to show flexibility.
The newspaper pointed out that there are estimates that the chances of Netanyahu’s government collapsing if he makes concessions remain slim; this causes the negotiations to remain at a dead end.