A senior Israeli official said that Tel Aviv will wait until Wednesday evening to learn Hamas’ response to the truce proposal in the Gaza Strip.
Agence France-Presse reported that the official said that the government would wait for Hamas’ response to the truce proposal, before sending a delegation to Cairo to hold talks on a ceasefire.
The official, who requested to remain anonymous, explained: “Israel will make a decision as soon as Hamas submits its response. We will wait until Wednesday evening before making a decision on whether to send the delegation or not.”
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported on Tuesday that the Israeli army had completed its preparations for the expected operation in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.
The source explained that the Chief of Staff approved the plans for the operation in the last stronghold of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, while the Israeli army estimates that within the next 48 to 72 hours “the decision will be made that will constitute the end of the campaign in the Gaza Strip.”
He added that the coming hours will be decisive: either a hostage deal with Hamas, or the Israeli army entering Rafah.
This comes as the United States continues to oppose any military operation in Rafah, saying that it will add catastrophic dimensions to the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Strip.
The American New York Times newspaper said that the administration of US President Joe Biden is “optimistic” about the possibility of reaching an agreement between Israel and Hamas, leading to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The source explained that Biden and his national security team believe that “there is a narrow window to conclude an agreement that would stop the war in Gaza at least temporarily, and perhaps end it forever.”
Yedioth Ahronoth revealed that “the worst option is Hamas’s rejection of the Israeli offer,” which it described as “generous and flexible.”
The offer requires Israeli officials to accept reducing the number of hostages they want Hamas to release during the first phase of the truce to 33 (from 40).
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