Talks to collapse? Israel blames Hamas, says Rafah attack ‘soon’

Prospects for a Gaza ceasefire appeared slim on Sunday as Hamas reiterated its demand for an end to the war in exchange for the freeing of hostages, and Israeli PM Netanyahu flatly ruled that out. The two sides blamed each other for the impasse and the Hamas delegation said it would leave Cairo truce talks Sunday to consult with its leadership. However, the Hamas officials planned to return to the Egyptian capital on Tuesday, two Egyptian security sources said.
Israeli officials have not travelled to Cairo to take part in indirect diplomacy, but on Sunday Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s aim since the start of the war nearly seven months ago: to disarm and dismantle Hamas for good or else endanger Israel’s future security. The PM said Israel was willing to pause fighting in Gaza in order to secure the release of hostages still being held by Hamas, believed to number more than 130. “But while Israel has shown willingness, Hamas remains entrenched in its extreme positions, first among them the demand to remove all our forces from the Gaza Strip, end the war, and leave Hamas in power,” he said.
“Israel cannot accept that.” In a statement released shortly after Netanyahu’s, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh blamed the PM for “the continuation of the aggression”.
One Israeli official briefed on the talks told Reuters: “The latest round of mediation in Cairo is near to collapse”. Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said Hamas wasn’t serious about a deal and warned of “a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah and other places across all of Gaza”. “We are observing worrying signs that Hamas does not intend to reach an agreement with us.”
Israel has been warning for months it plans to send troops into Rafah, the southern city bordering Egypt where more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents now have taken refuge. Israel believes thousands of Hamas fighters are holed up in the city, along with potentially dozens of hostages. Rafah is also a key entry point for aid.
Kerem Shalom is another main crossing point for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid, and it was shut on Sunday after a Hamas attack. The Israeli military reported 10 projectiles were launched at the crossing in southern Israel and said its fighter jets later struck the source. Hamas said it had been targeting Israeli soldiers in the area. Israel’s Channel 12 TV channel said 10 people were wounded, three seriously.
It was unclear how long the crossing would be closed. The attack came shortly after the head of the UN World Food Program asserted “full-blown famine” in devastated north Gaza, one of the most prominent warnings yet of the toll of restrictions on food and other aid entering the territory. The comments were not a formal famine declaration.
Meanwhile, CIA head William Burns is travelling to Doha from Cairo to hold a meeting with Qatar’s PM aimed at exerting maximum pressure on Israel and Hamas to continue talks, an official said.