Hassan Al-Warfalli (Gaza, Cairo)
Yesterday evening, a new round of discussions began in the Qatari capital, Doha, on ways to reach a prisoner exchange deal and declare a humanitarian truce, with the participation of high-level officials from the United States and Egypt, the Prime Minister of Qatar, and the head of the Mossad, according to what a source confirmed to Al-Ittihad.
The source explained that the meetings touched on the Israeli response to the last paper presented by the Palestinian factions, regarding the prisoner exchange deal and agreement on a humanitarian truce, and during the discussions a time date will be set for a comprehensive ceasefire and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip, pointing out that the Israeli delegation will provide responses to some The proposals are presented through the specific mandate granted to him by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The source indicated that the Doha meetings will witness a meeting with the Palestinian factions in the presence of representatives of the mediators in order to accelerate the negotiation process, stressing that the aim of this is to bring viewpoints closer and reach an agreement as soon as possible, explaining that the meetings that are taking place indirectly and simultaneously are the first since the 7th of May. Last October.
An Israeli official told Israeli public radio that Israel aims, through the talks, to reach a 6-week truce in Gaza, under which the Palestinian factions will release 40 hostages.
The official estimated that this stage of negotiations could take at least two weeks.
An Israeli delegation headed by Mossad chief David Barnea and Israeli security officials arrived in Doha yesterday afternoon, and the absence of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar was notable, as negotiations resumed a few hours after the Israeli delegation arrived in the presence of American, Egyptian and Qatari officials.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted Israeli officials before the negotiators left for Qatar, saying that the delegation obtained a clear mandate from the “cabinet.”
An Israeli official confirmed to Hebrew media that, “This is the first time that detailed negotiations will take place on an agreement, and everyone must realize that any comma in it, any linking letter, any word and any content, will take a very long time to negotiate.”
The Israeli negotiating delegation is scheduled to present Tel Aviv’s vision of the prisoner exchange deal, which will be conveyed to the Palestinian factions that adhere to the necessity of setting a timetable for a complete and comprehensive ceasefire and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from northern Gaza, which is rejected by the Israeli government that seeks to eliminate Rule the factions in the north and initiate a military operation against the city of Rafah.
Al-Ittihad learned from Arab diplomatic sources that the information that reached a number of parties involved and concerned with the situation in Gaza confirmed Israel’s desire to carry out an air operation for several weeks targeting the leaders of the armed factions, clarifying that the Israeli side is not ready, at this moment, to carry out a ground invasion of the city of Rafah. He does not have any clear vision in this regard.
In turn, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed US President Joe Biden in a phone call yesterday that he would send a joint team of agencies to Washington to discuss the military operation in the city of Rafah.
The US President considered that a large-scale ground attack by the Israeli army in Rafah would constitute a “mistake,” and expressed his concern to Netanyahu in this regard, according to what Sullivan said.
He explained that Biden confirmed to Netanyahu the reason for his deep concern about any major military operation in Gaza, pointing out that they discussed the status of the Israeli military operation in Gaza.
He added: “Biden called on Israel to exert more pressure on the Palestinian factions to end the conflict in Gaza.”
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