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US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun, ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP, REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
He noted there was a strong chance mediators would bring a partial deal to the table for negotiations, but in his view, there was no time for that. “We don’t have all the time in the world, not from [U.S. President Donald] Trump’s perspective either. He can’t allow the war to drag on,” Dermer said. “That means that if the talks go on for a long time, we can’t afford a partial deal. By the end of a 60-day pause, we may not have the credit to resume fighting.”
In his view, an “all or nothing” ultimatum would likely lead Hamas to choose nothing. “It’s clear to me that to achieve this, we need an operational lever, that’s why I support the chief of staff’s proposal to carry out an offensive encirclement of all remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza,” Hanegbi said.
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National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer
(Photo: Emil Salman, Dana Kopel)
According to Al-Akhbar, Egypt and Qatar are working to craft an “alternative vision” in light of stalled talks. Egyptian sources cited the “ambiguity of the Israeli position and contradictory messages, between delaying a military operation and readiness for immediate action” as complicating factors despite open channels between Jerusalem and Cairo.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement to foreign media
(Video: GPO)
London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi reported that Qatari mediators held direct talks with Hamas leaders in Doha last Thursday, during which they discussed new ideas for a ceasefire. Details of the proposal have not been made public, and no date has been set for the next round of negotiations. The report said the proposal may include a compromise between a full and partial deal, maintaining a 60-day or longer ceasefire with U.S. and international guarantees to prevent a return to war.
On Sunday, Netanyahu told local media that a decisive victory would come through “sophisticated methods that will surprise Hamas.” Afterward, he spoke with Trump. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the two discussed “Israel’s plans to seize the remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza to end the war by freeing the hostages and defeating the terror organization.” Netanyahu thanked Trump for his “steadfast support for Israel since the start of the war.”
