A source told Al-Araby TV on Sunday that the mediators discussed with Israel a gradual withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor during the first phase of the agreement on the table.
Israel and Hamas’s delegations departed Cairo on Sunday evening following another push by mediators Qatar, the United States and Egypt to reach a deal, though the talks have yet to reach a breakthrough following a prolonged stalemate.
In a statement on Sunday, top Hamas official Izzat Al-Rishq confirmed that the movement met with officials from Qatar and Egypt, where they were briefed on the outcomes of the latest round of talks in Cairo.
According to Al-Rishq, Hamas reiterated its demand that Israel commits to what was agreed upon in the July 2 proposal, which was based on a framework deal presented by U.S. President Joe Biden and supported by the United Nations Security Council.
“Hamas confirms its readiness to implement what was agreed upon, in order to achieve the highest interests of our people and stop the aggression against them,” Al-Rishq said.
He added that Hamas reiterated its demands for a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the freedom for internally displaced people to return to their homes. It also renewed its demand for relief and reconstruction as well as “a serious exchange deal.”
Israeli media also reported that Israel’s negotiators returned to Tel Aviv and will discuss the “next steps” with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
On Monday, two Egyptian security sources told Reuters that no agreement was reached, though a senior U.S. official, who asked to remain anonymous, maintained Washington’s optimism over the talks.
“The process will continue over the coming days through working groups to further address remaining issues and details,” the official told the news agency.
One source told Reuters that Israel expressed its reservations over the names of Palestinian prisoners that Hamas is demanding their release in exchange for Israeli captives, with Israel reportedly demanding their exit from Gaza upon their release.
Other key sticking points include Israel’s refusal to end the war and fully withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor, Rafah Crossing and the Netzarim Corridor.
The July framework agreement that Hamas has repeatedly referred to was based on Biden’s vision, which included a complete ceasefire, but was met with “new conditions” by Israel.
Speaking to Al-Aqsa TV on Sunday, Beirut-based Hamas official Osama Hamdan said Israel backtracked on its commitment to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor.
“We will not accept discussions about retractions from what we agreed to on July 2 or new conditions,” Hamdan told Al-Aqsa TV.
Hamdan added that the Biden administration has been spreading “false hope by talking about an imminent agreement for electoral purposes.”
A round of talks took place in Doha between August 15-16 where the mediators discussed Biden’s May 31 three-stage proposal, with each phase lasting six weeks.
A bridging proposal was presented at the time, but Israel insisted on continuing the war in the Gaza Strip and refusing to withdraw from the besieged enclave.
Meanwhile, a source told Al-Araby TV on Sunday that the mediators discussed with Israel a gradual withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor during the first phase of the agreement on the table.
The source added that the mediators are working with Hamas to accept a gradual withdrawal from the area in exchange for flexibility regarding the return of the displaced.
Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip is currently in its 11th month, with at least 40,334 people killed in the besieged enclave and at least 1.9 million people living under a dire humanitarian catastrophe that is only worsening amid an absence of a deal.
Hezbollah retaliation
Mediators have been pressing for a deal amid heightened regional tensions triggered by the war in the Gaza Strip.
The region witnessed escalations in recent weeks ever since Israel assassinated Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran on July 31 and Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Lebanon on July 30.
While Israel claimed the killing of Shukur, it has yet to claim responsibility for the killing of Haniyeh. Qatar had condemned the killing of Haniyeh while questioning Israel’s move, which came at a critical time for the negotiations.
Hezbollah’s retaliation for the killing of its commander started at dawn on Sunday, targeting strategic Israeli sites including the Galilot base, home to Mossad, Israel’s intelligence service.
In a televised address on Sunday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah confirmed that the group fired 340 rockets towards Israel.
Nasrallah noted that the retaliation was delayed for several reasons, including the Gaza ceasefire talks.
“Our goal[…]is to end the aggression on Gaza, so we gave it enough of an opportunity, but after all this time, it is clear that Netanyahu is putting in new conditions and the Americans are working with him and this is all a waste of time, so there was no reason to delay any longer,” Nasrallah said.
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, is reportedly visiting Iran “in the coming days” amid ongoing efforts to prevent further escalations within the region.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency broke the story on Sheikh Mohammed’s reported visit on Thursday, saying he will hold “a series of negotiations” with senior Iranian officials in Tehran, including the newly appointed foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.
