Ramadan begins, there is no agreement between Israel and Hamas: the military operation in Gaza continues. The Israeli military leaders and the Shin Bet have “approved the plans to continue the war”, this is the information that filters from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) after a meeting between the Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, and the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, staged at the Southern Command headquarters in Beersheba. According to the IDF, the head of the Southern Command, General Yaron Finkelman, the deputy head of the Shin Bet and other officers also participated in the meeting.
Israel prepares for the 'Ramadan scenario'
The start of Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims, can coincide with a moment of particular tension and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are ready “for every possible scenario in all theaters”, assures IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari, saying the army is “strengthening” its preparedness.
“Hamas prevents an agreement and acts contrary to what the mediators suggest,” Hagari says in a press conference. The spokesperson adds that according to Israeli intelligence, “Hamas is stockpiling equipment and food for its members, while the population of Gaza is having difficulty obtaining supplies.”
Hamas “is strengthening its position, as if it is not interested in an agreement, and is trying to inflame the region during Ramadan”, which begins today, “at the expense of the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip”, is the assessment of the Mossad, according to what was announced by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Confirmed, the Times of Israel reports, a meeting between director David Barnea and the head of the CIA, William Burns, a face-to-face meeting that took place on Friday “as part of the incessant effort to promote another agreement for the return of the hostages”. “Talks and cooperation with mediators continue”, they add from Israel.
Qatar, pressure on Hamas
The stalemate in negotiations is pushing Qatar, a mediator since the beginning of the crisis, towards a more intransigent position towards Hamas. Doha, according to the Wall Street Journal, is threatening to expel Hamas leaders, including the head of the political office Ismail Haniyeh, who live in self-exile in the emirate if they continue not to accept an agreement on the ceasefire and the release of the hostages.
Husam Badran, a member of the Palestinian group who lives in Doha, however, denies the news, underlining that without an agreement, violence will increase during the holy month of Ramadan. “We have not declared that negotiations have stopped. We are the side that most wants to stop this war,” he says, noting that Hamas' conditions for a hostage deal include a permanent ceasefire, the return of displaced civilians to the north of Gaza, the increase in humanitarian aid and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Strip.
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