Israeli leadership mired in conflicting opinions over Gaza deal
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The Yedioth Ahronoth news website says that while some security agencies opposed Hamas' response to the Israeli proposal, others believed that the group's response was "good".
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs a Cabinet meeting in occupied al-Quds on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. (AP)
There are conflicting opinions between the Israeli military and intelligence agencies, on one side, and the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on the other, regarding a prisoner exchange and a ceasefire deal that would end the war on the Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported.
According to the Yedioth Ahronoth news website, high-level Israeli officials have expressed their intense anger over the intention to thwart any possibility of reaching a prisoner exchange deal.
The Israeli sides seeking to reach a prisoner exchange deal expressed their anger over a statement distributed Wednesday by Netanyahu's office to some journalists, making it appear as though it came from security sources, the news website revealed.
On Wednesday evening, the Hamas movement revealed that its political bureau head, Ismail Haniyeh, held several phone calls with mediators in Egypt and Qatar over a few hours, to discuss an agreement that would halt the Israeli aggression against Gaza.
The statement issued by Netanyahu's office on behalf of Mossad, before receiving Hamas' response, indicated that the mediators have conveyed to the Israeli negotiating team Hamas' remarks on the outline of the deal and that "Israel is evaluating the remarks and will convey its reply to the mediators."
The news website mentioned that all the Israeli security agencies involved in the negotiations with Hamas stated that they were not aware of the announcement made by Netanyahu's office and did not agree to it.
Yedioth Ahronoth pointed out that while some security agencies opposed Hamas' response to the Israeli proposal, claiming that there was nothing new in it, others believed that the Palestinian group's response was "good".
The news website added that when Hamas' response was received, high-level officials in the Israeli security and military establishment said the opposite of what Netanyahu's office had tried to attribute to them a few hours earlier and emphasized that the response represents good lines through which negotiations on the deal can be launched.
Core issues intact following Hamas remarks on Israeli doc. - Exclusive
Earlier on Thursday, an exclusive source told Al Mayadeen that Hamas' amendments to the latest Israeli paper regarding a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal do not affect the core issues.
The source pointed out that the Palestinian group holds on to its positions regarding establishing a permanent ceasefire, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, and the return of the displaced.
Hamas insists on the necessity of Israeli forces withdrawing from the Philadelphia axis and the Rafah crossing, the source added, affirming that the Resistance group insists on its position of rejecting a “veto” on the release of Palestinians with life sentences.
Elsewhere, the source told Al Mayadeen that the Palestinian Resistance movement exhibited flexibility in dealing with clauses 8 and 14 in a way that ensures the continuation of negotiations until a permanent ceasefire is reached.
