U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly met in Paris with Qatari officials on Sept. 4 to discuss efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza, though Israeli officials sounded skeptical about progress toward an agreement, reported the Times of Israel, yesterday, citing Channel 12 TV. “So far, there is no progress in the negotiations—mainly due to the Israeli position,” one of the network’s sources said. “There is no significant American move,” an Israeli official told Channel 12. “Hamas in the meantime is not softening enough. No one has a rabbit to pull out of the hat yet.”
Middle East Eye reported from Cairo that Egypt has been sidelined in the collapsing Gaza ceasefire negotiations, with Cairo fearing that a major Israeli assault on the neighboring enclave could force Palestinians to breach the Sinai border and trigger chaos. Correspondence between Egypt and Israel has been completely cut off, with no progress in talks to secure a truce in Gaza, one senior intelligence official said. “Repeated Egyptian intelligence missions to Israel recently returned home empty handed. The last delegation received no clear or positive responses, only hollow promises to reply to Washington’s latest peace proposal,” the source told MEE. “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to invade, destroy and occupy Gaza.”
Meanwhile, the IDF continues with its demolition of Gaza City. Yesterday it knocked down the 12-story al-Mushtaha residential tower, justifying it with the claim that “Hamas established infrastructure above and below the building, from which they would direct terrorist attacks against IDF troops in the area,” reported Middle East Eye. The management of Mashtaha Tower has dismissed what it called the “occupation’s lies,” confirming that the building contains no security equipment and is accessible only to displaced people.
