An Israeli negotiating team is in Egypt to discuss hostage negotiations amid tensions with Hamas, which has proposed releasing only one living hostage. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff criticizes this offer as unacceptable, highlighting the urgency of the situation as Hamas’s negotiating window narrows.
An Israeli negotiating team has arrived in Egypt to engage in discussions regarding a hostage deal with high-ranking Egyptian officials. This initiative, overseen by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was initiated in response to current negotiations with Hamas, which have encountered significant challenges.
A major point of contention arose when Hamas indicated it would only release one living hostage, Edan Alexander—a dual citizen of Israel and the United States—and four deceased bodies. The U.S. envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, deemed this proposal a “nonstarter” and emphasized that Hamas’s opportunity to negotiate is diminishing rapidly.
The Israeli team’s visit to Egypt underscores the urgency of the situation as negotiations with Hamas have reached an impasse. The refusal of Hamas to release more than one hostage has led to a firm stance from U.S. diplomatic officials, indicating that without significant progress, the prospects for resolving this crisis may decrease further.
Original Source: www.haaretz.com
