Hamas is expected to return to Egypt on Tuesday, but chances of reaching an agreement with Israel are slim

The prospects for a ceasefire in Gaza seemed minimal this Sunday (5), when Hamas reiterated its demand for a definitive end to the war in exchange for the release of hostages, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu categorically ruled out this possibility.

The two sides exchange accusations over the impasse and the Hamas delegation said it will leave Cairo on Sunday night to consult its leadership.

However, Hamas officials planned to return to the Egyptian capital on Tuesday, two Egyptian security sources said.

On the second day of meetings with Egyptian and Qatari mediators, Hamas negotiators maintained their position that any truce agreement must end the war, Palestinian officials said.

Israeli officials did not travel to Cairo to participate in indirect diplomacy, but on Sunday Netanyahu reiterated Israel's objective since the start of the war almost seven months ago: to disarm and dismantle the Palestinian movement forever or else put future security at risk. of Israel.

The prime minister said Israel was willing to halt fighting in Gaza in order to secure the release of the hostages still held by Hamas, believed to number more than 130.

“But although Israel has demonstrated its will, Hamas remains entrenched in its extreme positions, the first of which is the demand to withdraw all our forces from the Gaza Strip, end the war and leave Hamas in power,” Netanyahu said. “Israel cannot accept this.”

An official briefed on the talks told Reuters: “The latest round of mediation in Cairo is close to collapse.”

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Hamas did not appear to be serious about seeking a truce.

“We are seeing worrying signs that Hamas does not intend to reach an agreement with us,” Gallant said. “This means that strong military action in Rafah will begin in the very near future and in the rest of the Strip.”

In a statement released shortly after Netanyahu's, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said the group was still interested in reaching a comprehensive ceasefire that would end Israeli “aggression,” guarantee Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and achieve a “serious” agreement to release Israelis held hostage in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Haniyeh blamed Netanyahu for “the continuation of aggression and the expansion of the circle of conflict, and the sabotage of efforts made through mediators and various parties.”

Qatar, where Hamas has a political office, and Egypt are trying to broker a ceasefire amid international consternation over the rising death toll in Gaza and the plight of its 2.3 million inhabitants.

Offensive in Rafah

Israel has warned for months that it plans to send troops to Rafah, the city on the southern border with Egypt where more than a million displaced Gaza residents have taken refuge.

Israel believes thousands of Hamas fighters are hiding in the city, along with potentially dozens of hostages.

Such an incursion would put hundreds of thousands of lives at risk and would be a huge blow to aid operations across the enclave, the UN humanitarian office said on Friday.

Residents and health officials in Gaza said Israeli planes and tanks continued to attack areas of the Palestinian territory overnight, killing and wounding several people.

The armed wing of Hamas claimed responsibility for an attack on Sunday at the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza, which according to Israeli and Palestinian media reports resulted in Israeli casualties.

Washington – which, like other Western powers and Israel, classifies Hamas as a terrorist group – has urged Hamas to come to an agreement.

CIA Director William Burns – who has been in Cairo – is traveling to Doha to hold an emergency meeting with Qatar's prime minister, an official briefed on the talks said on Sunday night.

“Burns is on his way to Doha for an emergency meeting with the Qatari prime minister, with the aim of exerting maximum pressure on Israel and Hamas to continue negotiations,” the source added.

While the two sides remain deadlocked over the issue of ending the war, Israel gave a preliminary nod to terms that one source said included the return of between 20 and 33 hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a truce of several weeks.

This would leave around 100 hostages in Gaza, some of whom Israel says died in captivity. The source, who asked not to be identified by name or nationality, told Reuters their return may require an additional arrangement.