– Hamas Rejects Israeli Offer For 7-Day Truce As Reported Gaza Death Toll Reaches 20,000:
Over the last several days there was a flurry of diplomatic activity in Doha and Cairo, as both Israel and the US seemed serious about negotiating another week-long truce. Indeed, the Netanyahu government reportedly offered a ceasefire for seven days and wanted in return 40 more Israeli captives freed. Presumably dozens of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention would have been exchanged too.
There were reasons for optimism, given CIA director Bill Burns and Mossad chief David Barnea were in the Qatari capital early this week, while head of Hamas’ political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, led a”high level” delegation in Cairo. Inside Israel, kidnap victims’ families have been staging round the clock protests outside government ministries and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office demanding that a new deal be achieved.
But Haniyeh while in Cairo appeared to put the brakes on such a deal, rejecting the offer while saying Israel’s military must halt its offensive first. Egyptian officials have been cited in The Wall Street Journal as saying the group “wouldn’t discuss releasing their Israeli captives until a cease-fire first goes into effect.”
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