The assassination of Hamas’ number two, Saleh al-Arouri, in Beirut has halted negotiations on a deal between Israel and Hamas, and talks now focus on preventing an escalation, especially in northern Israel. This was reported by Arab diplomatic sources to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. According to sources involved in the talks mediated by Egypt and Qatar, “the assassination changed the situation and now no progress is possible. The effort now is to ensure that any response, especially from Lebanon, is measured and to allow for the eventual continuation of negotiations.” The sources added that one of the issues that will influence the rest of the negotiations is whether Israel will consider the assassination of Arouri – for which it has not taken responsibility. formally the responsibility – as a “result that will allow a relatively long break”.
In the last hours, before the attack on Lebanon, Hamas had announced its willingness to release 40 hostages held in Gaza in exchange for the release of 120 Palestinians detained in Israel. Hamas negotiators called for a one-day ceasefire for each hostage released, a request rejected by Israel. And now the accelerations of the last few days have been completely blocked.
Source: IL Tempo
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
