Israel has submitted its reservations about a proposal for a hostage release deal to Gaza truce mediators, and considers this round of negotiations in Cairo to have ended, a senior Israeli official said to Reuters.
The Israeli delegation is returning from the Egyptian capital and Israel will proceed with its operation in Rafah and other parts of the Gaza Strip as planned, the official added.
The Israeli delegation and CIA Director William Burns were present in Cairo for the latest round of talks aimed at reaching a truce and the release of hostages in Gaza.
The Hamas delegation also left Cairo on the same day and made its way to Doha, Qatar, according to Hamas’s political bureau.
Israel has already defied international objections by sending in tanks and conducting what it calls “targeted raids” in eastern Rafah, the city it says is home to Hamas’s last remaining battalions.
In a press conference, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said that any major military operation in Rafah will strengthen Hamas’s position at the negotiating table, not Israel’s.
The US State Department also stated that any Israeli military operation in Rafah will weaken the Israeli position in the ceasefire negotiations. They added that they are discussing Hamas’s response with the Israelis, and working to bridge the gap and create an agreement that all sides can agree on.
