Still No Results in Israel-Hamas Talks

A new round of proximity talks in Cairo mediated by Egypt and Qatar ended with nothing. The optimism that accompanied the start of negotiations for a truce in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas is about to fade. A delegation of Hamas negotiators returned to Doha to continue consultations with their movement’s leaders.

Hopes for a quick truce between Israel and Hamas have faded in recent days. Both sides have demonstrated intransigence, especially with regard to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Theoretically, talks are supposed to resume on Tuesday, May 7, but Israel announced: “Soon we will enter Rafah.” It is a town in the south of Gaza.

Israel has begun evacuating civilians in certain peripheral areas of the city of Rafah, where some 100,000 Palestinian refugees live. According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Palestinians living in the eastern neighborhood of the city of Rafah have been receiving mass phone calls and voice messages inviting them to go to the al-Mawasi neighborhood.

In a telephone conversation with Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that “Israel has no choice regarding the military operation in Rafah.” He referred to “the many efforts that the State of Israel has made to reach an agreement on the release of hostages and a temporary ceasefire.”

Amid a new escalation of the conflict, the USA – for the first time since Hamas attacked the Jewish state on October 7, 2023 – has blocked an arms shipment to Israel. This was stated by the American National Security Council. It clarified, however, that “the policy of supporting Israel has not changed.” The United States has provided “billions of dollars in security assistance to Israel since the October 7 attacks, approved the largest additional pledge in history, and led an unprecedented coalition to protect Israel from Iranian attacks,” a National Security Council spokesman emphasized. He stressed that Washington will continue to “do whatever is necessary to guarantee Israel’s ability to defend itself against threats.”