CIA chief William Burns
(Reuters)
Israeli officials said late on Saturday that the U.S. should have demanded more pressure be placed on Hamas from the mediators in Qatar and Egypt as cease-fire and hostage release deal negotiations stall.
They said Qatar should expel Hamas leaders living there and freeze the terror group's bank accounts, but instead the Americans are applying their pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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Joe Biden, Yahya Sinwar, Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: Evelyn Hockstein / Reuters, IDF, Haim Goldberg / Flash 90)
A senior Israeli official said the mediators, especially the U.S. "understand who we are dealing with," adding that Hamas hardened its position and is not really interested in a deal, "but we respect the Americans and await the mediators' proposal," they said expressing their disappointment at comments made by CIA chief Bill Burns.
"We will offer this detailed proposal, I hope in the coming days, and then we'll see. It's a matter of political will," Burns said at an event in London.
However, Israeli officials expressed their pessimism and believed there was little chance of a deal. Hamas increased the number of convicted murderers they demand be freed from Israeli jails in exchange for wounded and sick men held hostage although there has already been an agreement on the number of prisoners that would be exchanged for the female soldiers held captive.
The officials believe the Hamas position has hardened because of Netanyahu's insistence on maintaining a military force along the Philadelphi Corridor. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar demands a complete withdrawal of IDF troops in the first phase of the deal. Bothe Netanyahu and Sinwar doubt the deal will reach its second phase, which is why the terror leader is demanding more prisoners be freed.