Negotiations in Egypt for a critical truce and prisoner exchange have hit a roadblock, with Hamas and Israel holding firm to their core demands. Hamas insists on US guarantees to prevent an Israeli ground invasion in southern Rafah, while Israeli officials, who haven’t sent a delegation to Cairo yet, maintain that such an attack is imminent regardless of a ceasefire agreement.
Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas spokesperson, emphasized the need for a US guarantee to prevent Israeli forces from launching a ground assault on Rafah for any ceasefire deal to be acceptable. He underlined that a ceasefire, to Hamas, means no further attacks anywhere in Gaza, including Rafah.
“We are still focused on key issues: a comprehensive ceasefire and Israel’s complete withdrawal from Gaza,” Hamdan stated to Al Jazeera. “Unfortunately, Netanyahu’s clear statement indicates an ongoing attack on Rafah irrespective of a ceasefire, effectively stalling any ceasefire prospects.”
