Is Hamas giving in now?

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Israel has apparently threatened to launch an attack on Rafah if a hostage deal is not reached soon.(Bild: AP/Ariel Schalit)

Ahead of a new round of negotiations in the Gaza war, the Islamist Hamas has signaled that it is giving in. Although there are still points to be discussed and clarifications to be made, Hamas circles said on Friday evening that they were traveling to Cairo for the indirect negotiations with a "positive attitude" in order to reach an agreement. According to a report, Israel had issued an ultimatum to the terrorist organization.

Hamas confirmed that its delegation would arrive in Cairo on Saturday. According to media reports, indirect negotiations on the release of hostages and a ceasefire are to continue at the weekend. William Burns, head of the US intelligence agency CIA, had already arrived in the Egyptian capital on Friday, reported the news portal "Axios", citing three sources familiar with the matter. However, a senior Israeli official told the Times of Israel that expectations that an agreement was imminent were dampened. "Even though the mediators are expressing optimism, Israel has not yet heard that Hamas is willing to back down from its maximum positions," the official was quoted as saying on Saturday morning.

USA: Hamas "only obstacle" to ceasefire
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described Hamas as the "only obstacle" to a ceasefire in the Gaza war with Israel. "We're waiting to see if they can actually accept a yes in response to the ceasefire and the release of the hostages," Blinken said on Friday evening. "The reality right now is that the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken(Bild: APA/AFP/POOL/Thomas Padilla)

Media report: Israel threatened with offensive
Israel has given the terrorist organization Hamas one week to agree to a ceasefire. Otherwise, the announced military offensive on the city of Rafah would go ahead, the Wall Street Journal reported late on Friday evening, citing Egyptian officials familiar with the matter. Egypt had handed over the proposal drawn up with Israel to Hamas last weekend. The exiled political leadership of Hamas was expected to consult with its military wing in the Gaza Strip, led by Yahya al-Sinwar, and to respond.

No response from Hamas leader
But Sinwar, who is believed to be hiding in tunnels under the coastal area and making the final decisions, did not respond, it was said. Egyptian officials then delivered the message from Israel to Hamas on Thursday. Israel had announced a rapid start to the offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza if no agreement was reached.

There is little hope for the remaining hostages.(Bild: AP/Petros Giannakouris)

The subject of the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, in which Egypt, Qatar and the USA are mediating, is a proposal that envisages the release of hostages from Hamas control and the cessation of hostilities by Israel in several phases, as "Axios" writes. Similar attempts had failed in the past because Hamas had made an end to the war a condition for the release of hostages.

"First signs" of agreement
Most recently, observers had assumed that Hamas would also reject this multi-stage mediation proposal. According to "Axios", however, things could turn out differently. High-ranking Israeli officials claimed to have recognized the "first signs" that the Islamists could agree to the first phase of the deal - the release of women, children, the elderly and injured among the hostages during a temporary ceasefire - without insisting, as before, that Israel commit to ending the war from the outset.

From the outset, the Israeli leadership insisted on a multi-stage agreement in order to reserve the option of continuing the war if no further agreements were reached after the first hostage releases and a limited ceasefire. At the same time, the Islamists would demand their price for giving in. According to "Axios", Hamas could reduce the number of hostages to be released for humanitarian reasons and in return increase the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released in Israeli prisons.