Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Talks Break Down

Negotiations between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas appeared to fall apart last week amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Israel is preparing for a final attack on Hamas’ last stronghold in the city of Rafah and the terrorist organization has rejected several proposed ceasefire offers.

Late last week it appeared that the negotiations fell apart as Hamas left the discussion. The two sides discussed a potential ceasefire deal in Cairo, the capital of Egypt. The proposed plan would see some hostages released in exchange for a 40-day ceasefire.

However, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that his government saw “worrying signs that Hamas does not intend to reach an agreement with us.”

“This means strong military action in Rafah will begin in the very near future, and in the rest of the Strip,” he added, citing the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government has prepared the attack for more than a month.

Ceasefire and Hostage Negotiations in Cairo, Egypt appear to have at least Partially-Collapsed, with Hamas Officials claiming that they waited 2 Days for the Israeli Delegation to arrive, but that it never did and they will now be heading back to Qatar. However, the U.S, Israeli,…

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 5, 2024

Earlier in the week Israel had given Hamas one week to accept the ceasefire offer or face the attack on Rafah.

Israel and Hamas had a brief ceasefire in November, which allowed for the release of some of the hostages and additional humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. However, Hamas has rejected several other proposals for a ceasefire. This includes the group stating that it did not have the number of hostages needed to exchange with Israel.

It was estimated that Hamas held more than 100 hostages taken during the Oct. 7 attack which killed about 1,200 people, including several Americans. However, from what Hamas stated, it appeared likely that most of the hostages had died since.

Furthermore, Israel’s planned attack on Rafah received considerable criticism from the White House and protests on college campuses. President Joe Biden had stated that an attack on the city would represent a “red line,” though the White House later walked back his comments.

Furthermore, Congress approved and Biden signed a significant aid package to Israel since the president’s comments.