Israeli official: Any negotiation deal means a win for Hamas

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Wall Street Journal
19 Mar 2024 17:38

The Israeli occupation's negotiating team arrives in Qatar, amid conflicting information about the mandate it has been granted for that purpose by Netanyahu.

Palestinians wave the Palestinian flag and celebrate the capture of an Israeli occupation tank at the southern Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis during the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023 (AP)

The Wall Street Journal, an American newspaper, cited Gershon Baskin, a former Israeli negotiator who negotiated on behalf of Gilad Shalit back in 2011, as saying, "Israel knows it has lost by entering into negotiations, and any agreement reached is a victory for Hamas," before adding that "the goal is to minimize this victory as much as possible."

Baskin's statement comes amid reports confirming that David Barnea, the head of the Israeli occupation's negotiating delegation, arrived in Qatar on Monday evening and left on Tuesday morning. The negotiating team met with the Israeli War Cabinet before departing.

The newspaper quoted an Israeli official who stated that the delegation did not obtain everything it requested regarding the negotiations, and all they got was a clear mandate allowing for the "effective management of the negotiations."

Conversely, the newspaper quoted some mediators in Qatar who expressed doubt that the Prime Minister of the Israeli occupation, Benjamin Netanyahu, had given the team a mandate to reach an agreement. This has been reported as an issue that could potentially undermine the negotiations.

Qatar expresses cautious optimism on Gaza ceasefire talks

Qatar's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said the country was "cautiously optimistic" regarding a potential ceasefire in Gaza, with "technical" negotiations ongoing.

He said, "We are not close to a cease-fire agreement in Gaza, but we remain hopeful," adding, "The next major objective of the negotiations is to send a counter-proposal to Hamas."

Elsewhere in his remarks, al-Ansari emphasized that an Israeli invasion of Rafah would negatively impact the attainment of an agreement and lead to significant destruction and unprecedented atrocities.

This comes shortly after Israeli Mossad chief David Barnea returned to "Israel" early Tuesday morning from Qatar. The remainder of the Israeli delegation stayed in Doha to continue the negotiations.