Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his meeting with representatives of the families of the hostages, at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem: "Contrary to what is being said, there is no true offer from Hamas – that is not true.
"I say this in the clearest way I can because there are so many untrue things that certainly distress you," Netanyahu added, "On the other hand, there is our initiative and I won't elaborate."
Reports in Egypt: signal for a rapprochement on the part of Hamas
This week, several reports and news about a nearing agreement between Israel and Hamas have surfaced. An Egyptian official told the pro-Qatari Arab newspaper Al-Jadid today (Monday) that: "There is a tendency to reach a phased agreement based on a phased ceasefire with truce guarantees." According to him, consultations are currently underway to determine the clauses at each stage of the agreement – to try to reach agreement from both sides, as reported on Channel 12.
Earlier, there were reports of a Hamas proposal to release all prisoners, withdrawal from all of Gaza, and the cessation of hostilities, with international guarantees that Hamas would regain control of the Strip the day after.
In the Arab press, it was reported that in recent days, the Egyptian team mediating felt flexibility on the part of the Hamas leadership. At the same time, they clarified: "This flexibility comes together with an insistence on the principle of a ceasefire that includes the inability to cancel it. Everyone knows that when there are negotiations, the sides raise the ceiling of demands to reach compromises and practical solutions."
Israeli sources also confirmed that "the sides are approaching each other in the negotiations for the release of the hostages," but at the same time, a senior Israeli official clarified: "There are new outlines and effective axes, but the gaps have not yet narrowed."
According to the same officials, "Even if dragged into a ceasefire as part of a deal to release the hostages, we must not give it away for free as it was with the move to the third phase. Without prior announcement that it is the plan, we could have received additional compensation for moving to the third phase."
