The Prime Minister Officer’s described Hamas’s latest demands as unrealistic; Israeli security cabinet hears “signs are growing” that Hamas’s No. 3 leader, Marwan Issa, was killed in previous IAF airstrike.
(March 15, 2024 / JNS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the Israel Defense Forces operational plans for Rafah, Mako reported on Friday, citing the Prime Minister’s Bureau. The IDF is preparing operationally for this next stage of the war while also readying for the evacuation of Gazan civilians from Rafah, the report added.
The prime minister described, for the second day in a row, Hamas’s latest conditions for facilitating a hostage release deal as “unrealistic,” but added that an Israeli delegation is expected to take off for Doha, Qatar, for further talks after Israel’s security cabinet formulates Israel’s positions on the matter, according to the report.
Earlier on Friday, Netanyahu convened the war cabinet to go over the latest Hamas demands at the Kirya site in Tel Aviv, which also houses IDF Headquarters and the Defense Ministry.
Following that meeting, the wider Security Cabinet met at the Kirya to discuss a range of issues.
An Israeli political source told Ynet that Hamas’s unrealistic demands meant “there is nowhere to advance to” in response to an Israeli outline for a hostage-release deal, which was presented to mediators in Paris on Feb. 23. The Paris talks saw the Israeli delegation, led by Mossad director David Barnea, meet separately with Qatar, Egypt and the United States.
The wider security cabinet on Friday also heard growing evidence that Hamas’s No. 3 in command in the Gaza Strip—Marwan Issa—was killed during a March 10 Israeli Air Force airstrike on an underground compound in Nuseirat in the central part of the Strip, according to the Ynet report.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Friday that Washington needs to see a clear and implementable plan for Rafah, including getting civilians out of harm’s way, according to Reuters.
“Blinken told reporters in Austria that the U.S. has not yet seen such a plan for a military operation in Rafah, the southern Gaza city where more than a million people are sheltering,” the report stated.
Also on Friday, Kan 11 reported that Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant signed a letter at the request of the United States, which states that Israel will use all weapons sent to it by Washington in a manner that is in line with international law and that Israel will not interfere with American humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. The report stated that versions of the letter were sent to all countries that receive U.S. weaponry in recent weeks, adding that Israel was “one of the main reasons for the initiative of producing this letter.”
In the coming weeks, Blinken will “examine Israel’s reply” and “could ask for clarifications or additional documents,” said the report, adding that this could lead the U.S. to prevent Israel from using unspecified weapons.