Hamas and Israel Talks
While negotiations between Hamas and Israel continue through mediators, the Tel Aviv administration is accused of delaying the agreement, which will result in more civilian martyrs in Gaza and endangers the lives of prisoners. The meeting, held in Rome, Italy, on July 28, was attended by US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns, Israel’s Foreign Intelligence Service Mossad Director David Barnea, Egyptian Intelligence Director Abbas Kamil and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Hamas said in a statement after the talks yesterday, “Netanyahu has once again returned to his strategy of delaying, postponing and avoiding an agreement by putting forward new conditions and demands.” The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced that the talks were still ongoing, saying, “Negotiations will continue on the main issues in the coming days.”
It is stated that among the new conditions Netanyahu put forward in the negotiations, he wants “a mechanism to investigate fighters moving from the south to the north of the Gaza Strip, the presence of the Israeli army on the Gaza border with Egypt and a list of prisoners to be released.” It is noted that the new proposal came at the insistence of US officials, and it is stated that there are “serious doubts” about Hamas accepting Netanyahu’s current proposal, which leads to a radical change in the agreement.
Analysis and Comments
- “All indications are that Netanyahu is delaying progress in negotiations to reach an agreement,” Israeli military expert and analyst Amos Harel wrote in the Haaretz newspaper.
- “It seems to me that Netanyahu is stalling,” Yaron Blum, former coordinator of the File on Prisoners and Missing Persons in Israel, told a local radio station.
- Israeli political analysts and critics argue that Netanyahu is delaying a potential deal in order to remain in power politically.
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Itamar Ben-Gvir | Leader of the Jewish Power Party and Minister of National Security |
| Bezalel Smotrich | Leader of the Religious Zionist Party and Minister of Finance |
