Negotiations between Israel and Hamas have been put on hold

The negotiations are put on hold and Israel’s attack on Rafah continues, reports the news agency.

Thursday 9 May at 18:46

An Israeli official has told Reuters that the negotiations in Cairo are over and that the operation in Rafah will continue as planned.

Representatives of Hamas, Israel, the United Nations, the United States and Qatar participated in various negotiations in the Egyptian capital.

The Israeli delegation is returning from Cairo, they write.

The Israeli official says Israel has presented its reservations to mediators in a proposal and considers this round of negotiations closed.

Earlier this week, Reuters reported that Hamas has approved ceasefire proposals put forward by Egypt and Qatar. The details are not known – nor how Israel reacted to the proposal.

But the joy was short-lived, when Israel carried out several airstrikes against Rafah on the night of Tuesday.

Politico: Hostage deal put on hold

The newspaper Politico reports that the talks about the hostage agreement have been put on hold. It should have been disclosed by two anonymous sources who are familiar with the negotiations.

The two people tell the newspaper that Hamas is still willing to negotiate an agreement, and emphasize that the negotiations are not over.