CAIRO – 26 April 2024: U.S. officials told Washington Post, Friday that they do not think an offensive is imminent in Rafah. They added that the conditions on the ground appear to support that assessment.
An Israeli official source said that the meeting with the Egyptian security delegation was ‘very good’, adding that Israel provided ‘great flexibility regarding the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the strip and returning of Gaza residents’
The source added that there will not be a ‘complete ceasefire in Gaza except for a few weeks.’
The source noted that Egypt will be pushing Hamas to accept ‘this last opportunity for ceasefire’.
Israeli media also reported the Egyptian side is trying to do ‘the unbelievable’ in order to reach a deal and resolve the crisis.
The media reports said that Israel had given Egyptian mediators ‘the green light’ to proceed with the prisoner swap deal.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on the other hand, said that the Egyptian deal is a ‘dangerous Israeli surrender’ and a ‘terrible victory for Hamas’.
The Israeli official even threatened with ‘resignation’ if deal the deal was accepted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A high-ranking Egyptian source, said that there has been significant progress in bringing the views of the Egyptian and Israeli delegations closer together regarding reaching a ceasefire in Gaza Strip.
An Egyptian security delegation arrived in Tel Aviv on Friday to discuss a comprehensive framework for a ceasefire in Gaza, a high-level source said.
The delegation includes a group of specialists in the Palestinian file, the source added
The visit comes amid concerns of a planned Israeli invasion in Rafah, which borders Egypt and is currently home to over half of Gaza's population, about 1.4 million Palestinians.
World countries, including Egypt has consistently expressed its concerns regarding the planned operation due to its potential catastrophic impact on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and regional stability.
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