President Donald Trump is actively engaged in promoting a comprehensive agreement intended to secure the release of Israeli hostages and bring the fighting between Israel and Hamas to a close, according to individuals familiar with the ongoing diplomatic discussions who spoke to The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
“We’re optimistic a deal can be reached,” a US official stated.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu convened a high-level meeting with several cabinet ministers and senior members of Israel’s defense establishment at the IDF’s Southern Command to assess the state of military operations in Gaza and consider future steps.
A primary point of discussion at the meeting was whether Israel should dispatch negotiators to upcoming talks, which are likely to be held in either Qatar or Egypt.
A source informed the Post that about three-quarters of the points under negotiation have been agreed upon in recent weeks. “The remaining 25% includes key matters such as the humanitarian situation, the conclusion of the war itself, and the guarantees Israel is demanding to prevent Hamas from rearming.”
Speaking at the headquarters of the Shin Bet, Netanyahu remarked, “We will have to resolve the situation in Gaza and defeat Hamas, and I believe we will accomplish both goals. Beyond that, broader regional opportunities are emerging – and in nearly all of them, you are partners.”
A proposal that has once again been brought into the discussion is the possibility of forcing Hamas’s top leadership into exile, a concept previously covered by the Post.
Although Hamas had earlier rejected exile as part of any arrangement, the idea has reemerged during the latest round of talks.
{Matzav.com}