A senior Egyptian official told the Al-Qahara Arab network this morning (Monday) that Hamas attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing that killed four soldiers Sunday afternoon led to a dead end in hostage negotiation. According to the official, the Egyptian delegation is engaged in an effort to contain the escalation between the two sides.
Earlier, the New York Times quoted an Israeli source as saying that the announcements issued by the Prime Minister's office on Saturday led to the break in talks.
In response, Netanyahu's office issued a rebuttal of the previous statement. "The claim that Prime Minister Netanyahu and not Hamas is the one who sabotaged the hostage release deal is a complete lie and a deliberate deception of the public," it read.
"The truth is the complete opposite," Netanyahu stressed. "Hamas is the one that thwarted any deal, not being willing to move a millimeter from its extreme demands - firstly, that Israel withdraw from Gaza and stop the war, which would once again allow Hamas to take military control of the Strip and start getting ready for the next massacre as it has promised to do."