From the Liveblog of
Monday, July 15, 2024
Israeli negotiating team set to fly out for hostage deal talks this week
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
An Israeli negotiating team will fly out this week despite uncertainty after Saturday’s attempted assassination of Muhammad Deif, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
The official declines to indicate who will be flying, and whether the talks will be in Doha or in Cairo.
The official maintains that the fact that Hamas has not walked away from talks “further supports the prime minister’s position that continued military pressure and a firm stance brings Israel closer to its goals — the defeat of Hamas and the return of the hostages.”
“Now is the time to ramp up military pressure,” continues the official, adding that regardless of whether Deif is dead, “Hamas has suffered a major blow.”
