Netanyahu expands mandate for Gaza ceasefire negotiators: Reports
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Israeli journalist Barak Ravid says PM Netanyahu is expanding the mandate for the Gaza negotiators, allowing for more flexibility as tensions soar.
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Palestinians flee the Khan Younis area of the Gaza Strip on Thursday, August 8, 2024. (AP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has slightly expanded the mandate given to the Israeli negotiation team working on the Gaza hostage deal, two senior Israeli officials familiar with the matter were cited as claiming Wednesday by Israeli journalist Barak Ravid.
The officials described the mandate as "reasonable," justifying the team's upcoming participation in talks in Qatar.
Netanyahu's decision to provide greater flexibility in the Israeli negotiation positions is seen as a potential step forward, he said. However, the officials noted that it remains uncertain whether this alleged flexibility will suffice to reach an agreement.
The Israeli negotiation team is set to travel to Qatar on Thursday for a brief round of talks. If necessary, an Israeli working-level team will stay in Doha to continue negotiations.
During a recent meeting, the heads of the Israeli occupation's security and intelligence services warned Netanyahu that the time to reach a deal was running out. They emphasized in both the meeting and a written document that further delays or inflexibility in the negotiations could endanger the lives of the Israeli captives.
A senior Israeli official also revealed that the meeting discussed the potential linkage between a possible attack by Iran and Hezbollah and the ongoing negotiations for a captive deal and a ceasefire in Gaza.
Hamas says not to attend talks if not fruitful
On Wednesday, Hamas announced that it would not participate in the upcoming round of Gaza ceasefire talks scheduled for Thursday in Qatar, stating that a proposal already exists on the table, and all it requires is implementation.
An official familiar with the discussions mentioned that mediators still plan to consult with the Palestinian Resistance movement afterward, Reuters reported.
Hamas said earlier this week that it had already accepted in June the ceasefire proposal put forward by US President Joe Biden, whose national security advisor later revealed that it was in fact an Israeli proposal. The group said it would only attend the talks if the discussions were regarding the implementation process.
Read more: For Gaza ceasefire, Hamas says implementation needed not more talks
Washington considered that a ceasefire agreement remains possible, and warned that swift progress is necessary to prevent the war from escalating further.
Meanwhile, Axios reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has delayed his trip to the Middle East, which was initially expected to start on Tuesday.
Reuters claimed that three Iranian officials said that Iran's direct retaliation against "Israel" for assassinating Hamas' politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran can only be held back if a ceasefire in Gaza is reached.
The Israeli delegation to the ceasefire talks in Doha consists of Mossad chief David Barnea, the head of Shin Bet Ronen Bar, and the head of the Prisoners of War and Missing Persons Center, Nitzan Alon, Israeli reports said.
"Israel will send the negotiations team on the agreed upon date, that's tomorrow August 15th, in order to finalize the details of the implementation of the framework agreement," Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer told reporters.
Israeli media reported earlier this week that Security Minister Yoav Gallant accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of sabotaging the ceasefire talks.
Hamas politburo member Osama Hamdan said on Wednesday that the Resistance group "informed the mediators that … any meeting should be based on talking about implementation mechanisms and setting deadlines rather than negotiating something new... otherwise, Hamas finds no reason to participate.”
In a similar context, Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters, "Going to new negotiations allows the occupation to impose new conditions and employ the maze of negotiation to conduct more massacres."
"Hamas is committed to the proposal presented to it on July 2, which is based on the UN Security Council resolution and the Biden speech and the movement is prepared to immediately begin discussion over a mechanism to implement it," Abu Zuhri added.
