Translation:
The National Security Advisor to the U.S., Jake Sullivan, stated that the country is seeking to reach a temporary ceasefire in Gaza as part of a potential prisoner exchange deal, while Israel witnessed protests over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to freeze talks regarding the detainees.
Sullivan added in statements made yesterday, Wednesday, that the goal is to initiate a temporary ceasefire and build on it to reach a more sustainable situation.
On the other hand, the Coordinator of Strategic Policies at the U.S. National Security Council, John Kirby, said that Washington believes the Cairo negotiations regarding Gaza were constructive.
He added in an interview with CNN that Washington remains engaged and committed to the hope that the talks will lead to a positive outcome.
In the same context, the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) stated that Minister Lloyd Austin discussed yesterday in a call with his Israeli counterpart, Yuval Galant, negotiations to secure the release of what they described as the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, the U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, Tim Davis, stated that his country looks cautiously optimistic about the ongoing negotiations in Egypt to reach a humanitarian ceasefire and a cessation of hostilities in Gaza.
Davis added that U.S. efforts are currently focused on reaching a peaceful solution to the conflict and establishing a plan that could lead to the creation of a Palestinian state.
In developments related to the same file, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated during her visit to Israel that there is a need for a new humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, and that the Qatari-Egyptian proposal is an opportunity that must be seized.
Yesterday, Tuesday, Cairo witnessed a new round of negotiations involving Israel and the U.S., and reports indicated that the talks did not make progress amidst Tel Aviv’s rejection of several demands presented by Hamas to the mediators.
Protests outside the residence of @Netanyahu in #Jerusalem demanding expedited exchange deal to release Israeli prisoners from Gaza #GazaWar #Video pic.twitter.com/gYS4YqISWH
— Al Jazeera Palestine (@AJA_Palestine) February 14, 2024
Disputes and Protests
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated yesterday that Hamas must give up its conditions, adding that progress in negotiations can then be made.
Netanyahu mentioned that the key to releasing the remaining “kidnapped individuals” is to continue military pressure on Hamas, which demands that any agreement to stop the ongoing aggression on Gaza for over 4 months.
Israeli media reported that the Prime Minister instructed the Israeli delegation, which was supposed to travel today, Thursday, to Cairo to resume prisoner exchange negotiations, not to go there.
In this regard, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported that Netanyahu made the decision without informing the War Ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, indicating that they would demand full participation in decision-making at the War Council.
Channel 13 of Israel quoted an unnamed Israeli official stating that a dispute arose within the Israeli political and security elite regarding the delegation’s participation in the Cairo talks.
According to estimates from Tel Aviv, there are still about 130 Israelis detained in Gaza, with about 30 of them likely being killed.
Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that families of the Israeli captives demonstrated last night in front of the homes of both Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yuval Galant and War Council member Benny Gantz after the negotiating delegation’s trip to Cairo was cancelled, demanding an immediate prisoner exchange deal.
The families of the Israeli captives threatened to stage a sit-in outside the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv if Netanyahu continues to ignore them.
Last night as well, dozens of protesters from the “Change Direction” movement stormed the Israeli Likud Party headquarters in Tel Aviv in protest against the continued war on Gaza.
The protesters demanded a vote of no confidence in the government of Benjamin Netanyahu and the setting of a date for immediate elections, considering it an extremist government sacrificing citizens for its political survival.
The movement also called on Likud party members to remove what it described as the extremist current from the government.
