Israeli officials believe they 'got played' by US on Gaza deal: Axios
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Israeli officials say the United States hid the details of the new prisoner exchange proposal from "Israel".
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, right, attend a ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day in the Hall of Remembrance at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre, in al-Quds, occupied Palestine, on Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP)
The Biden administration was aware of the latest ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal negotiated by Egypt and Qatar with Hamas but did not inform "Israel" before Hamas publicly accepted it on Monday, Axios reported citing Israeli officials.
But a senior US official refuted the Israeli claims, saying that American diplomats have been in communication with Israeli counterparts, indicating "there have been no surprises."
However, according to Axios, the situation has left senior Israeli officials feeling disappointed and suspicious about the US role in the negotiations and may impact future talks negatively.
The US official characterized Hamas' response as a counter-proposal rather than a new one, reflecting the ongoing complexity of negotiations mediated by mediators in Doha and Cairo.
The Palestinian Resistance group Hamas announced its acceptance of a ceasefire proposal presented by Egypt and Qatar following talks over the weekend in Cairo and Monday in Doha, where CIA director Bill Burns was present, according to informed sources.
Axios cited three Israeli officials as saying that the Israeli government was surprised by Hamas' announcement and received the text of the movement's response from mediators an hour after its public statement.
They claimed that Hamas' response contained "many new elements" that were not part of the previous proposal that the Israeli leadership agreed on and that was presented to the Palestinian group by mediators the US, Egypt, and Qatar 10 days ago.
"It looked like a whole new proposal," one official was quoted as saying.
Egypt presented Hamas with a new proposal without coordinating with "Israel", two Israeli officials indicated.
Israeli officials said that CIA Director Bill Burns and Biden administration officials knew about the new proposal but didn't inform "Israel" about it, adding that the proposal's final touches were made in Doha with the Biden administration's knowledge.
According to two Israeli officials, the Israeli side believes it "got played" by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar who weren't transparent about a new deal.
Another two Israeli officials pointed out that "Israel" suspects that the United States, through Egypt and Qatar, gave assurances to Hamas that a prisoner exchange deal would bring an end to the war on Gaza.
The Israeli occupation government has previously made it clear that ensuring a prisoner swap deal with the Palestinian group would not mean an end to the war, insisting on its plan to "eliminate Hamas".
A senior Israeli official mentioned that "Israel" believes the US "conveyed the message to Hamas that it will be okay when it comes to ending the war."
However, the US official clarified that, during the negotiations, the Biden administration aimed to "ensure that an initial six-week ceasefire would be built into something more enduring," denying the US presented guarantees to Hamas.
Elsewhere, Axios cited Israeli officials as saying that the Biden administration conveyed to Israeli officials on Monday that Hamas' response is open to negotiation, but the Israeli leadership remains skeptical about the matter.
Read more: Explainer: The three-phase agreement Hamas has agreed to
