Citing American and Israeli officials, the leading US news site “Axios” announced that an important meeting will be held in Rome, the capital of Italy, on July 28 regarding the prisoner exchange and ceasefire negotiations, which are at a critical turning point between Israel and Hamas.
According to American and Israeli officials, the meeting in Rome will bring together US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Egyptian Intelligence Director Abbas Kamil and Mossad Director David Barnea.
It is stated that detailed discussions are not expected in this meeting, but forward-looking strategic steps will be discussed.
Israelis Disappointed in Rome Meeting
Although there were reports in the media that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was delaying the agreement with various demands, there is an optimistic atmosphere that the prisoner exchange and ceasefire agreement will be reached soon after Netanyahu’s visit to the US.
An Israeli official said Netanyahu pledged to send an updated offer to Hamas through Qatar and Egypt after his meeting with Biden.
However, some sources expressed doubts about whether Netanyahu really wanted a deal and believed he was buying time to avoid a government crisis.
Israeli negotiators said they did not expect progress at the Rome meeting and were heading towards a crisis. The CIA did not comment on the matter.
“We May Be Heading Towards a Crisis in Negotiations”
An official said, “Netanyahu wants an impossible deal. He is not willing to make moves right now and so we may be heading towards a crisis in negotiations rather than a deal.”said.
The visit of the Israeli negotiating team, which was expected to go to Qatar yesterday for prisoner swap and ceasefire talks in the Gaza Strip, was postponed. It was stated that the delegation will not go to Qatar before next week.
The Israeli news site “Walla” also announced that the delegation’s visit was postponed.
