A delegation of Egyptian security and intelligence officials visited Israel late last week for meetings with their Israeli counterparts, the Qatari owned Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper reported on Sunday.
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The paper quoted and Egyptian intelligence official who said the delegation wanted to learn Israel's view on a total withdrawal of its troops from the Gaza Strip as part of a comprehensive agreement, after the war. The official said the delegation was told that the matter would be raised in the Israeli cabinet but added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was blocking a possible deal.
"Thus far, numerous options were presented, that factored in the needs of all sides," the official said, "but it appears that Netanyahu is interested in extending the war as much as possible."
According to the report, Egypt summoned the Gaza factions for an additional round of talks in Cairo after January 7 and that the Egyptians were working through more than one channel to bring about a unified Palestinian position on a unified government that would be responsible for Gaza and the West Bank.
A Palestinian source told the paper that the discussions among the Gaza factions on a proposed hostage deal have not yet yielded an agreement. "Hamas needs an official commitment from the mediating countries that the fighting would not be resumed under any circumstances."
A Hamas official confirmed the report and said that claims in the Israeli press that the deal under consideration included a comprehensive cease-fire in exchange for the release of 40 to 50 Israeli hostages held in Gaza, were not true. "Hamas decided to reject any temporary cease-fire," he said.
"Hamas is currently considering mediation offers that are based on its demand for a comprehensive cease-fire. Israeli media leaks are just Netanyahu's falsehoods and his attempts to evade the pressure from the families of the hostages." The official said.
On Saturday, an Israeli official said the Hamas was no longer demanding an end to the fighting as a condition for the release of hostages. He said Mossad Chief David Barnea, briefed the war cabinet that Qatar had said Hamas was willing to negotiate the release of 40 to 50 hostages including women, elderly and sick captives in exchange for a 20 to 30 day cease-fire and the release of Palestinian prisoners.