From the Liveblog of
Monday, October 14, 2024
Hostage deal talks likely off until after US elections — report
Gianluca Pacchiani is the Arab affairs reporter for The Times of Israel
After a reported meeting between Shin Bet director Ronen Bar and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel in Cairo yesterday ended without a breakthrough, hostage deal talks are only likely to resume after the US elections on November 5, according to the Qatari-owned al-Araby al-Jadeed paper.
Two top intelligence officials concur that at the current time, it will be difficult to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza or a hostage and prisoner exchange agreement between Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian factions.
Bar and Kamel also reportedly talked about security arrangements on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, to be implemented should a hostage deal be reached. The paper reports that they discussed the possible deployment of international or Arab forces along the Netzarim and the Philadelphi axes, including Egypt’s participation in the latter, but Cairo insists that Israel withdraw from the Gazan side of the Egypt-Gaza border area.
Bar also reportedly asked Kamel to convey a message to Iranian leaders, in light of improving ties between Cairo and Tehran. The message included “hints” to the Israeli response to Iran’s recent ballistic missile attack, and a warning against an Iranian counter-response, al-Araby al-Jadeed writes.
The paper mentions that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will visit Cairo in the coming days and will meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and with Kamel, to discuss developments in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and the Red Sea, as well as a proposal by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to deescalate tensions in the region.
The Times of Israel Community.