“There are early signs of progress towards a new hostage agreement.” Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz said this in a statement sent by the Defense Ministry. “We are faced with an operation in Rafah, which will begin after the evacuation of the population from the area. If there is no plan to free the hostages, we will also operate during Ramadan”, specified Gantz.
Confirming during a press conference that there are “attempts underway” to promote a new agreement on the hostages, and speaking of “promising” signs, Gantz – also referring to the words of Finance Minister Smotrich, according to which the release of the hostages is not the priorities – assured that Israel “will not stop looking for a way and will not miss any opportunity to bring our girls and boys home”.
Israel, however, denied the news from the Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat, according to which it had sent a delegation for hostage talks with Hamas in Cairo after the terrorist group “softened its positions”. “The Saudi report is incorrect, an Israeli delegation will not go to Cairo. Israel is waiting for Hamas' response, which should arrive today or tomorrow, and then a decision will be made,” an Israeli source told Ynet.
CIA director William Burns is expected in Paris on Friday for a new round of talks with his counterparts in Qatar, Egypt and Israel to resume efforts to reach an agreement on the hostages in exchange for a truce with Hamas, sources said aware of the dossier on the Axios website.
Meanwhile, the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, harshly criticized Smotrich, after the far-right exponent declared that guaranteeing the return of the hostages “is not the most important thing” for Israel at the moment, indicating as a priority the total destruction of Hamas.
“A very disrespectful discourse is starting to develop about the hostages and their families,” Herzog said, quoted by Jewish state media. “There is no greater 'mitzvah' in Judaism than saving prisoners,” he added. “One can argue about how to achieve the goal, but I urge the public and especially elected officials to take into account the feelings of the families of the hostages”. “You have to know how to behave with the utmost sensitivity and understand that sometimes there are things that shouldn't be said in public,” concluded Herzog.
Meanwhile, the Israeli authorities are preparing to open the Karni border crossing with the Gaza Strip to allow the entry of more humanitarian aid for the Palestinian population in the north of the enclave, as reported by the ABC News broadcaster, citing sources Tel Aviv.
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