Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, July 11, 2024
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, July 11, 2024
PM toughens negotiating stance as intel shows weakening of Hamas forces – report
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a debate at the Knesset plenum in Jerusalem, June 24, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Israeli and American officials say Hamas has softened some of its stances in hostage talks, according to Axios, which reports that intelligence assessments indicate the terror group wants a ceasefire due to its weakening military position.
An Israeli official involved in the negotiations tells the news site that this intelligence has led Netanyahu to toughen Israel’s demands for a deal, explaining that the premier “is trying to use Hamas’s weakness to get as much as he can out of the negotiations.”
“But there is a risk that he will go too far and the negotiations collapse,” the official says, adding that the premier wants a deal but is willing to play hardball.
