From the Liveblog of
Sunday, April 14, 2024
Mossad: Hamas rejected proposal for hostage agreement, Sinwar not interested in a deal
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Hamas has rejected the offer Israel put forward last week in Cairo, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Mossad intelligence agency.
“The rejection of the proposal from the three mediators,” says the PMO, “which included significantly greater room for flexibility on the Israeli side, proves that [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar is not interested in a humanitarian deal and in the return of the hostages, and continues to take advantage of tensions with Iran to try to unite the theaters and to achieve a general escalation in the region.”
Israel will continue working to achieve its goals, says the statement, and will “turn over every stone to bring back the 133 hostages from Gaza as soon as possible.”
Israel received news that Hamas had rejected the latest offer for a hostage deal at 7 p.m. Saturday night, but was too focused on the Iranian attack to put out a statement, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
A low-level Israeli negotiating team is still in Cairo.
The Times of Israel Community.