With no immediate end in sight to the thriller surrounding Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Thursday the withdrawal of the Israeli negotiating team from the talks. The negotiators are returning to Israel for further high-level discussions.
This move comes just one day after the official response from Palestinian organization Hamas to mediators regarding the latest ceasefire proposal. Hamas expresses its willingness to continue negotiations, however it sets specific conditions that it considers essential for achieving a sustainable agreement.
Key points of Hamas’ response
The organization insists on establishing a new prisoner exchange mechanism, emphasizing that to date no substantial negotiations have taken place on this critical issue that constitutes its priority. Additionally, it demands the restoration of the protocol agreed upon on January 19 for facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, while expressing its opposition to the participation of the Humanitarian Aid Foundation in managing this aid.
Demands and guarantees for the negotiation process
Hamas seeks explicit assurance that Israel will not resume military operations during the proposed 60-day ceasefire, even if a complete agreement is not reached within this timeframe. It emphasizes that negotiations can continue even after the ceasefire expires. Additionally, it underscores the need to keep the Rafah crossing open, both for entry and exit, an issue not included in the mediators’ proposal.
