Despite all the “optimism” expressed by unnamed Israeli officials in recent days, the ceasefire talks with Hamas seem to be heading towards a deadlock.
Yesterday, a senior Israeli official accused Hamas of “dragging its feet” in hostage talks in Doha. “Israel is ready to see negotiations with Hamas through to the end, but the refusal and foot-dragging are raising doubts about Hamas’ seriousness,” he said, reported the Times of Israel. Specifically, Hamas is not moving forward on the ratio of prisoners released for each hostage, the official said. “This is delaying the ceasefire. It insists on not moving to discussions on the issue. This is preventing us from making progress.”
Israel’s negotiators remain in Qatar, he said. There is also an Israeli team in Cairo discussing humanitarian aid in the event of a ceasefire. “As soon as Hamas clears the way, we will be able to make progress,” the official said.
