The Israel Broadcasting Corporation said today (Saturday) that a majority in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government supports the terms of a new deal proposed by Egypt, and has been communicated to Hamas with the aim of reaching a prisoner exchange deal and a temporary ceasefire.
Quoting Israeli officials, the commission said: “The agreement was supported by the majority of the security establishment and the political level, according to the Egyptian plan to release 20 to 40 kidnapped Israelis in exchange for a one-day ceasefire. A little more will be released for each abductee.
The commission said Netanyahu did not want a partial deal and was keen to reach a comprehensive deal in which all prisoners would be released. But one official told the commission: “Reaching a comprehensive agreement is off the table because the Hamas movement wants to end the war, a demand Israel opposes.”
A deal could be reached “within days, despite Netanyahu's reservations,” according to a source familiar with the details.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken decided to postpone his trip to Israel until Tuesday after it had been planned for the weekend, the authority said.
Informed sources said the US rejects Israeli military action in Rafah. Because it would greatly affect the chances of reaching a ceasefire and prisoner release agreement.
At the same time, the security establishment expressed concern over the possibility of hostages being freed if Israel launched an operation in Rafah.
A security official told the Broadcasting Corporation, “The last chance…we either go back to the deal delaying the abductees entering Rafah, or we enter the war in Rafah as we leave northern and central Gaza and leave. Strip, to (Hamas).”
Earlier, Finance Minister Bezalel Smodrich threatened to overthrow the government if Israel approved the deal according to the Egyptian plan. Smodrich wrote on the “X” site: “This deal is a dangerous Israeli capitulation and (Hamas) a terrible victory.”
Earlier, a high-level security source told the Arab World News Agency that Egypt was working to communicate directly with the leadership of the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip in order to reach “quick understandings” of the new thesis being presented by Cairo. A cease-fire agreement.
The next step in the radical Egyptian move is to communicate with the leadership of Hamas, stressing that “Egypt is working to communicate directly with the leadership of Hamas to discuss the details regarding the new Egyptian card.”
Hamas also said it was open to any proposal, including an end to the “occupation” and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
