Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
WASHINGTON DC, 21st March. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday announced that he will visit Egypt later this week and review the ongoing peace talks between Israel and Hamas, according to the State Department.
US has told Israel that it won’t be supporting any ground offensive in Rafah as it would affect the lives of civilians, including women and children in large numbers.
President Joe Biden had communicated the US potition regarding the Rafah operations in a direct telecall to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mossad Chief, David Barnea leading the Israeli delegation in Qatar for peace talks has returned back to Tel Aviv on Tuesday night after Israel did not budge to many demands put forward by Hamas through mediating nations like Qatar and Egypt.
According to Israel Defence Ministry sources, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant have told the Israeli delegation in Doha to continue the negotiations on Israeli terms and not to agree to unreasonable demands by Hamas.
Israeli intelligence agencies, including Mossad and Shin Bet have informed the Israel War Cabinet, according to sources in Israel Defence Ministry that the Hamas was trying to buy time and prevent a ground onslaught by the Israeli army in Rafah.
Hamas commander, Yahya Sinwar, according to Israel intelligence officials, was trying to protect the four Hamas battalions that are stationed in Rafah.
According to Mossad and Shin Bet believes that mounting international pressure would lead to Israel quitting from the Rafah ground offensive and hence buying time in the name of ceasefire would help Hamas leader to protect the remaining four batalions.
Hamas’s army has crumbled and to stay afloat the terror group wants to retain its remaining four battalions.
Blinken visit to Egypt is significant in this context and it has to be seen how the Israeli side would agree to the terms and conditions for a ceasefire put forward by the Hamas.
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