A day after the Israeli negotiation team returned from Cairo, talks between the negotiation teams continued on Monday and will likely persist for at least the next 24 hours until a definitive conclusion on the talks is reached.
The goal of the meeting rounds last week in Doha and this week in Cairo is to hammer out all points regarding a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas.
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Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Protestors calling for hostage deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit, EPA/NIR ELIAS, JACK GUEZ / AFP)
This represents a new approach in the negotiations, amid criticism of American naivety, where the sides will first agree on the keys to releasing the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, as well as finalizing the issue of vetoing the releases of specific prisoners in Israeli prisons.
CIA Director Bill Burns, who is facilitating the talks on behalf of U.S. President Joe Biden, has instructed the parties to minimize briefings and maintain maximum discretion. However, U.S. officials told the New York Times on Monday that bridging the gaps — such as control over the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors — remains an elusive endeavor.
A senior Egyptian official told a local television channel that Egypt stressed in the talks it won’t agree to Israeli presence on the Philadelphi Corridor and Rafah crossing.
However, in-depth talks are ongoing behind the scenes, with decisions on the contentious issues awaiting conclusions only after a hostage deal is finalized. Representatives from the CIA, Qatar and Egypt remain in Cairo.
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Mossad Director David Barnea, CIA Director William Burns
(Photo: Yariv Katz, Tom Williams/AP)
The negotiation teams are discussing all the issues at hand, primarily the number of hostages to be released in the deal, the lists of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange, the keys to the deal and the veto power for both sides. The discussions also cover the map of IDF troop deployment in the Gaza Strip, but other issues take precedence.
Israeli officials denied Arab media reports claiming Jerusalem agreed to Palestinian Authority presence at the Rafah crossing, as well as those saying the Israeli negotiation team lacks the authority to discuss the sensitive issue of the Philadelphi Corridor.
While the Cairo talks remain in a gridlock, the negotiations didn’t fall through entirely. The continuation of the talks gives a glimmer of hope to the hostages’ families, despite the pessimism expressed by both Israeli and senior Hamas officials on the matter. The mediators have asked to set a deadline for the talks and are providing another day or two of discussions — until Wednesday at the latest.
However, they don’t rule out the possibility that another summit will be required, where final decisions will need to be made by both parties. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may need to make a clear decision on the Philadelphi Corridor and other matters to conclude Israel’s negotiation efforts.
A U.S. official said that the Cairo talks, including those with Hamas representatives, were "constructive" and were held in good spirits by all parties aiming to reach a final and implementable agreement.
"The process will continue over the coming days through working groups to further address remaining issues and details," the official added. "Burns is not giving up and continues efforts to achieve a breakthrough, despite the difficulties."