According to media sources, a senior US official on Sunday mentioned “significant progress” in negotiations for a prisoner exchange between the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel. This comes as Washington maintains its stance against launching a ground military operation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip under the current circumstances.
Reuters reported that a senior official in the administration of US President Joe Biden stated that negotiators working on a framework agreement in several stages to secure the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza have made “real progress” in recent weeks.
The official mentioned that this agreement was the main focus of a 45-minute phone call between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier on Sunday. There are still significant gaps related to this agreement that need to be filled.
During the call, Biden emphasized that the United States does not support Israeli military operations in Rafah under the current circumstances, where approximately 1.3 million people are sheltering, “with nowhere to go.”
Meanwhile, a US official cited by NBC stated that significant gaps remain in the exchange deal and that all details must be finalized, but clarified that “significant progress on the release of hostages in Gaza could happen this week.”
Negotiations Undermined
On the other hand, Hamas stated on Sunday that an Israeli military operation in Rafah would jeopardize the possibility of releasing the Israeli prisoners.
A Hamas leader warned that the military operation would lead to “undermining the negotiations” for the prisoner exchange.
Approximately 1.3 million Palestinians, over half of the besieged Strip’s population, are gathered in Rafah near the border with Egypt, most of whom are displaced persons who fled the Israeli aggression in the north and center of the Strip.
Earlier, Netanyahu affirmed his intention to carry out the military operation in Rafah. In an interview with “ABC News,” he said, “Victory is within reach. We will do it. We will control the last terrorist bastions of Hamas and Rafah, its final stronghold.”
Since the 7th of October, the occupying forces have been waging a devastating war on Gaza, resulting in over 28,000 martyrs, mostly women and children, and about 70,000 wounded, in addition to the destruction of cities in the Strip and the displacement and starvation of its residents.
