An Egyptian delegation is in Israel in an effort to advance stalled negotiations aimed at freeing hostages and implementing a ceasefire in Gaza, Egyptian and Israeli officials told CNN on Friday.
The delegation is also willing to continue talks with Israeli officials on security coordination around a possible Israeli operation in Rafah, another Israeli official said.
Egypt is concerned about the implications of a large-scale Israeli operation in Rafah, near its border, where around a million displaced Palestinians have taken refuge in recent months.
Despite months of talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt, Hamas and Israel have failed to reach an agreement due to differences over key demands.
A senior US administration official said Thursday that there is “some indication of a path” to mediate a deal.
The latest draft presented in several rounds of talks in Qatar and Egypt includes a 6-week ceasefire and the release of some hostages held by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
A key Hamas demand is the “unrestricted” return of Palestinians displaced from southern Gaza to the north.
The US official confirmed that the draft agreement included that element, but “there are provisions” to guarantee the safety of those who return.
“That means shelter, it means assistance. That means a UN mission to make sure things are ready,” the official said.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, senior Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya reiterated other key demands, previously rejected by Israel, as fundamental conditions for any agreement.
Al-Hayya stated that Hamas “cannot reach an agreement” without a guarantee that there will be a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
“Despite the catastrophe [en Gaza]…it is not possible for us to release [a los rehenes] for a poor exchange, which could lead to the resumption of an assault [israelí] or a war against our people,” he stated.
Israel has maintained that its operation in Gaza will continue until Hamas is eliminated.
As talks drag on, the death toll in Gaza continues to rise and families of hostages in Israel grow desperate. Qatar, a key mediator, this week questioned the seriousness of Israel and Hamas in reaching an agreement.
Conflicting points in the negotiation
One of them is the number of Israeli hostages, whose release is planned in the first phase of the agreement. After agreeing to 40 hostages, including all women as well as sick and elderly men, Hamas then indicated that it does not have enough live hostages who meet those criteria to be released, according to another Israeli official and a source familiar with the discussions.
“We often hear things from Hamas leaders abroad [de Gaza] that do not reflect the Hamas leaders inside, who seem determined simply to remain underground holding hostages,” said the senior US administration official.
In a rare joint statement Thursday, the leaders of 18 countries, including the United States, urged Hamas to accept the terms of a deal and release the hostages, which would “bring about an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza that would facilitate an increase in the necessary additional humanitarian aid that would be delivered to Gaza and lead to a credible end to hostilities.”
A senior Hamas official criticized the statement as a display of “ironic international politics” and called on the signatory countries to pressure Israel to accept an agreement.
“Their sons and daughters are not more valuable than ours,” declared Basem Naim.
Zeena Saifi contributed to this report.
