The newspaper quoted the source as saying that the factions movement had expressed its approval of the last position proposed by Israel, but in the Friday meeting, Israel raised new issues.
The newspaper quoted an unnamed Israeli source familiar with the negotiations as saying that Israel had shown a “firm stance” in the talks, and several media outlets reported that Israeli sources estimate that the talks are expected to last regarding three weeks.
The Hebrew website “Ynet” said that a delegation from the Palestinian factions movement met in Beirut with the Secretary-General of the Lebanese factions movement and informed him of “its agreement to a ceasefire.”
Mossad chief David Barnea returned from Qatar following conveying to the mediators a basic message: In order to move forward with the prisoner exchange deal, the Palestinian factions must agree to the broad outlines that were sent to them – and adopted by the Security Council and US President Joe Biden – and not make any changes to them.
The New York Times reported that Barnea explained that the Palestinian factions’ request for guarantees to stop the war constitutes a fundamental change from the proposal adopted by the Security Council and President Biden.
The Associated Press quoted an official in the Palestinian factions movement on Saturday as saying that the movement still wants “written guarantees” from mediators that Israel will continue to negotiate a permanent ceasefire agreement once the first phase goes into effect, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists that the war will not end until Israel achieves its goals of destroying the Palestinian factions’ military capabilities and ability to govern, and returning all Israeli prisoners held in Gaza.
On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed in a statement from his office that Mossad chief David Barnea had made a flying visit to Qatar, one of the main mediators, but his office said there were still “gaps between the two sides,” stressing that talks would continue this week.
In line with previous proposals, the deal would see 600 trucks of humanitarian aid enter Gaza daily, including 50 fuel trucks, with 300 of those heading to the hard-hit north, the officials said.
“There is a real chance at the moment to reach an agreement,” a source in the Israeli negotiating team, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity on Friday, said. That reflects a significant shift from Israel’s previous positions in the war, when it said the terms set by the Palestinian factions were unacceptable.
The source in the Palestinian factions movement stated that the new proposal includes mediators guaranteeing a temporary ceasefire, delivering aid, and withdrawing Israeli forces as long as indirect talks continue to implement the second phase of the agreement.
Efforts to reach a ceasefire and prisoner exchange in Gaza have intensified over the past few days through intensive diplomatic efforts between Washington and Qatar; a source from the region said that the US administration is trying hard to reach an agreement before the presidential elections in November.
Source: RT
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2024-07-07 09:17:15
