According to the Yediot Ahranot newspaper, the Israeli negotiating team led by Barnea arrived in Rome this morning to discuss a ceasefire in Gaza and a mutual prisoner swap agreement. High-level participation from the US, Egypt and Qatar is also taking place in the talks in Italy.
Negotiations During a Tense Period
The summit of talks on a ceasefire and a mutual prisoner swap in the Gaza Strip is taking place at a time when tensions are rising in the region, following the deaths of 12 people, most of them children, in a missile attack on the occupied Golan heights While the talks continue, the Israeli army has also increased its attacks in the Gaza Strip.
Danger for Displaced Palestinians
The Israeli army has begun issuing forced evacuation orders to areas in Gaza that were previously declared safe zones for displaced Palestinians, resulting in the deaths of 54 Palestinians, including women and children.
Negotiations and the Difficult Process
Negotiations have been ongoing for a long time between the parties to stop the attacks that Israel launched on the Gaza Strip on October 7. While security and intelligence agencies have expressed their views in favor of an agreement, pressure from far-right coalition partners in Netanyahu’s The government may be preventing an agreement.
Netanyahu’s New Demands
In recent weeks, when prisoner swap talks have gained momentum, Netanyahu has stated that continuing Israeli occupation of the Rafah Border Crossing and Gaza’s border with Egypt is one of the conditions of a possible agreement. However, with Netanyahu’s new demands, such as “controlling Palestinians who want to return to northern Gaza,” prisoner swap talks could become difficult.
