[ad_1]
Cabinet ministers claimed during the discussion that “this decision brings closer the possibility of reaching a hostage agreement,” even though this point of contention is the main point of contention between Hamas and Egypt. The ministers said the decision shows Hamas that “it must compromise on Philadelphia, just as it compromised on its demands to end the war.”
The Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers criticised the defence establishment, saying security officials said they knew how to evacuate from the Philadelphia corridor. This was a reference to assurances from security officials after the Gaza evacuation that they knew “how to deal with rockets”.
The cabinet also discussed the killing of hostages, and ministers were informed that according to a preliminary review by experts, “most of the hostages killed were killed in the first half of this year, shortly after the Hamas attacks, and not in recent months.”
The Forum of Hostages and Missing Families issued a statement after the cabinet’s decision on the Philadelphia axis: “After nearly a year of neglect, Netanyahu will not miss a single opportunity to miss a deal. Not a day goes by when Netanyahu does not endanger the return home of all the hostages. In the first months of the war, the government did not feel pressure to launch attacks in Rafah and southern Gaza. What would have happened if we had withdrawn from the axis within a fixed deadline and reached a hostage agreement?”
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum also stated, “The IDF has confirmed the demolition of 80% of the Hamas tunnels in Rafah, the United States and Egypt are making guarantees that were not previously available, including the construction of the separation wall in Rafah, and the Egyptians are ready for an Israeli military presence in Rafah and demand a moderate presence from the Palestinian Authority. Is this why they are abandoning the hostages and undermining the agreement?”
A week ago, the prime minister announced his agreement to withdraw a few hundred meters behind the Philadelphia route. However, this slight compromise did not lead to a breakthrough in the hostage deal negotiations. US President Joe Biden spoke with Netanyahu last week and asked him to be more flexible on the Philadelphia axis between the southern Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula.
According to multiple reports, Israeli and Egyptian teams have discussed in recent months alternative solutions that could lead to a compromise, such as building underground barriers, sensors and cameras or observation towers to prevent the smuggling of weapons through the Philadelphia axis. Another possible outcome is the deployment of international forces. Egyptian mediators objected to Israel’s demands for a military presence in the Philadelphia axis, but agreed to convey the outlines proposed by Israel to Hamas in the negotiations.
[ad_2]
Source link
