Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the Egyptian initiative for a short-term truce with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi announced, in a joint press conference held with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, yesterday that his country had put forward an initiative for a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Palestinian factions, starting with two days, then 10 days, interspersed with negotiations to exchange a number of prisoners from both sides. .
The Egyptian President indicated that the proposed initiative includes exchanging Israeli prisoners with some Palestinian prisoners, the number of whom was not specified.
For its part, Hebrew media, including Channel 12 and the official Broadcasting Authority, reported that the Egyptian initiative includes the release of 4 living Israeli prisoners.
Despite the support of the majority of Israeli ministers for the Egyptian proposal, Tel Aviv decided to reject the small deal proposal due to the opposition of Netanyahu, who stressed that the negotiations take place only under fire, according to what the Hebrew Channel 12 reported on its website.
The channel confirmed that the security establishment in Israel also supported the proposal, and despite the continued mediation efforts of Qatar and Egypt for months, presenting one agreement proposal after another to end the war on Gaza and exchange prisoners, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to set new conditions that include “continuing control over the Philadelphia border axis between Gaza and Gaza.” Egypt, the Rafah crossing in Gaza, and preventing the return of Palestinian faction fighters to northern Gaza (by searching returnees through the Netzarim corridor in the middle of the Strip).
It is noteworthy that Doha witnessed, yesterday, Sunday, meetings between the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, and the directors of the CIA, William Burns, and the Mossad, David Barnea.
Reuters quoted an informed official that the talks will seek to reach a new short-term ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the release of some hostages held by Hamas in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, while Fox News quoted an informed source as saying that the main goal of the meeting is to discuss a ceasefire. It lasts less than a month.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that the head of the Shin Bet did not join the Israeli delegation in Doha.
With American support, Israel has been waging a genocidal war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 143,500,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and famine that killed dozens of children and the elderly, in one of the… The worst humanitarian disasters in the world.