Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meeting with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, said Israel would send a negotiating team for ceasefire talks in Rome “probably early this week.” Initially, Sunday, July 28, was the day Mossad chief David Barnea, CIA Director William Burns, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdel Rahman al-Thani and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas. Kamal were to meet. The talks were to focus on “the agreement on the hostages still held by Hamas” and “a ceasefire in Gaza.” To get the news out first Wallaan Israeli news site, with journalist Barak Ravid citing sources in Tel Aviv and Washington that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hardened his positions and for this reason he does not expect a turning point in the negotiations. Also because the prime minister wants to establish a mechanism to monitor the movement of weapons and Palestinian militants from the south of the Gaza Strip to the north and to maintain Israeli control over the strip of land between Gaza and Egypt. Also according to what the site reports, Sunday's meeting “is not expected to include detailed negotiations on the remaining differences, but will focus mainly on the strategy to follow.” An Israeli official – again quoted by Walla – ruled out that a turning point could be reached in Rome. “Netanyahu – he explained – wants an agreement that cannot be achieved. He is not ready to act at the moment, so we could end up in a crisis in the negotiations and not in an agreement.” Walla reports that the CIA declined to comment.
During his meeting with US President Joe Biden on Thursday evening, the Israeli Prime Minister made it clear that he did not want to “delay the agreement (on the ceasefire, ed), within two days, a new offer will be made by Israel to Hamas,” he told the families of the hostages, quoted by TV channel 12. Biden and Netanyahu met with representatives of the kidnapped families of American nationality, invited to the White House by the American president. “Biden gave us hope that something would happen in the coming days. After what we have heard, we are more optimistic than we have been since the last agreement. We received the promise from Biden and Netanyahu that they understand the urgency of the moment to conclude the agreement. Hamas understands that the ball is in its court and that the international pressure is such that thanks to it, it has nowhere to flee,” the families of the kidnapped people told Israeli television. Meanwhile, Netanyahu arrived at Mar-a-Lago to meet Donald Trump: reports the CNNThis is their first meeting since the tycoon left the White House. The focus is on the war in Gaza and the future of Palestine.
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