this is all shuck and jive. I don't chose to play the endless mind games of Hamas. And a lot of other people are questioning this storyline too. Significantly because - no more than 24 hours earlier, both sides were announcing the talks had stalled.
As recently as 1 day ago it was 'no deal'. (with Hamas representatives leaving the table, and Hamas rockets raining down on proposed aid crossings). Israel starts it's promised move on Rafah - and within hours it's, "Oh, we agreed to the plan!" Yeah, right! Sure you did! Except - that's not what Haniyeh was saying on Sunday! (if that is accepted to mean anything at all)
- snip - A Hamas delegation which had arrived in Cairo on Saturday announced late on Sunday it was leaving to consult with its leadership.
There has been no sign yet of a definitive response from the group to new terms proposed by mediators and accepted by Israel last week. Israel has yet to send a delegation to Cairo.
- snip - Both Israel and Hamas portray the other as intransigent but both are under pressure to agree a ceasefire.
Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s most senior political leader,
said on Sunday the militant group was keen on reaching a comprehensive ceasefire that will end Israeli “aggression”, guarantee Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and achieve a serious hostage-swap deal.
In his statement Haniyeh blamed Netanyahu for “sabotaging the efforts made through the mediators and various parties”.
- - The Guardian, May 5th 2024 - -
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/05/israel-tells-hamas-to-accept-ceasefire-terms-or-risk-new-onslaught-in-near-future
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