[CJO]
April 9, 2024 (EIRNS)—Eran Etzion, former deputy head of Israel’s national security council, believes Netanyahu’s “political infinity” has been a primary obstacle in negotiations with Hamas. “Netanyahu from the outset has put the matter of the hostages as his last priority. We also know that this was not among the goals of this war from the beginning,” Etzion told Middle East Eye. “All his conduct throughout suggests that, from his standpoint, this is a type of collateral damage he is willing to absorb.” Netanyahu’s intransigence remains the main obstacle to any breakthrough that may otherwise come out of the negotiations. “Netanyahu is still the one deciding, and so we are stuck,” he said.
Etzion’s comments came as a burst of optimism came out of Cairo yesterday on supposed progress in the negotiations. The delegations from each side, Israel and Hamas, left Cairo reportedly to consult with their respective leaderships. Egyptian security sources claimed that both sides had made concessions that could help pave the way for a deal for a truce, which—as proposed during previous talks—would be staggered over three stages. The concessions relate to the freeing of hostages and Hamas’s demand for the return of displaced residents to northern Gaza, they said, reported the Times of Israel. Mediators suggested the return could be monitored by an Arab force in the presence of Israeli security deployments that would later be pulled back, they added. Delegations left Cairo and consultations were expected to continue within 48 hours, the sources and Al-Qahera said.
While unnamed Israeli officials are quoted expressing “optimism” about the talks, a senior source within the Palestinian factions told Al Mayadeen on Monday that no progress has been achieved in the ongoing negotiations taking place in the Egyptian capital on a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner-exchange deal. The source affirmed that the Resistance’s delegation went to the negotiations in Cairo armed with the nationally agreed-upon Palestinian stance. The source stressed that Palestinian demands are clear, and there will be no agreement or exchange deal without achieving them.
These include an immediate cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza, the return of displaced persons, accommodation for the people of Gaza, and the reconstruction of the Strip. The demands also include the opening of crossings for the entry of aid into Gaza, the lifting of the Israeli siege imposed on the Strip, and the completion of a genuine prisoner-exchange deal.
In the midst of all this, the IDF felt compelled to say that the withdrawal of the 98th Division from Gaza had nothing to do with the talks in Cairo. Unnamed military leaders said that “the withdrawal isn’t a confidence-building measure to help the negotiators who went to Cairo for new talks on Sunday…. It was decided on strictly for operational reasons based on the security situation in the area and not due to American demands,” reported Anadolu, citing Ha’aretz.