Israel decided Friday not to send a delegation to Cairo to participate in indirect with Hamas, whose representatives arrived in Egypt. Israel’s War Cabinet reached a consensus about the move, as the gaps between the sides are very wide, and Hamas's proposal for the deal isn’t seen as one that could serve as a starting point for negotiations. Therefore, Israel believes there’s no point in participating in the talks.
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Israel will take advantage of the coming days to exert more military pressure on Hamas in Gaza, as well as pressure on the mediators – in order to persuade Hamas to issue a different proposal. This could be seen in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement on Friday in which he instructed the IDF and security forces to present plans to Israel’s War Cabinet for “intense operations” in Rafah, located close to the Egyptian border.
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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yahya Sinwar
(Photo: Reuters / Saudi Press Agency/Handout, Yariv Katz, AP)
It should be noted that a military operation in Rafah raises serious concerns in Egypt, which is worried about the possibility that masses of Gazan refugees will try to cross the border from Rafah to Sinai.
On Friday, Reuters reported that Egypt has sent about 40 tanks and armored personnel carriers to northeastern Sinai in the past two weeks, "as part of a series of measures to bolster security on its border with Gaza," two Egyptian security sources told the news outlet.
According to the War Cabinet’s decision there’s room for negotiations based on the Paris summit agreement should the parties reach an understanding, and Israel will agree to participate in talks under such circumstances.
Israel estimates Hamas' extreme response this week - insisting on the IDF’s complete withdrawal from Gaza, as well as the release of 500 prisoners sentenced to life - was made for internal reasons, and that Hamas is aware that negations based on their proposal won’t take place.
Israeli officials disagree with the assumption that Hamas' leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar is disconnected from the negotiation process - as believed by security officials. Other officials believe Sinwar is very involved in the talks, and that Hamas' response was a tactical move aimed at achieving Israeli concessions in the negotiations.