Against the background of the threat to invade Rafah and faltering negotiations, a senior Hamas official claimed this morning that the terrorist group is interested in reaching an agreement - but "not at any cost."
According to the same source: "There will be no agreement without a complete cessation of the war and the withdrawal of the [IDF] from the entire Gaza Strip." The same senior official accused Prime Minister Netanyahu of refusing the deal out of personal reasons. According to him: "Netanyahu is threatening to invade Rafah in order to exert pressure and block an agreement. The Occupation will pay a heavy price for any 'adventure' it may decide to carry out."
In the meantime, the Egyptian channel "Al-Qahara Al-Ahbariya" reported that the Egyptian security delegation continues consultations with all parties on the issue of a ceasefire. According to a senior source familiar with the negotiations: "The return of Palestinian residents from southern Gaza to the North is part of the agreement. There is positive progress in the negotiations, and what is published in the media regarding issues surrounding certain clauses is not inaccurate."
In addition, the war cabinet is set to meet at 4pm today (Sunday) to discuss the negotiations. According to Channel 13's Moriah Asraf's report, Israeli officials involved in the talks are saying that, "the indications coming from the mediators are negative and it does not seem that Hamas' answer will be one that will allow rapid progress in the deal."
