American mediators have reportedly adopted a new tactic in the ongoing Israel-Hamas negotiations, focusing on areas of potential agreement while postponing discussions on more contentious issues. The strategic shift comes as conflicting reports emerge about Hamas representation in the talks currently taking place in Egypt.
Sources disclosed to Al-Akhbar, a publication with ties to Hezbollah, on Tuesday morning that US negotiators have embraced this fresh approach. The sources interpret the move as an effort to keep the negotiations alive and avoid declaring them a failure.
Concurrently, Hamas sources contradicted US assertions, confirming to the newspaper that the organization has no technical delegation participating in the ongoing Egyptian-hosted talks.
Nevertheless, reports indicate that technical negotiating teams are slated to return to Cairo this week for another round of discussions. The Egyptian side has consistently opposed a full Israeli presence at the Rafah border crossing, according to the report.
However, Egypt has shown openness to IDF presence along the Philadelphi Corridor – a strip of land between Gaza and Egypt – on several occasions. This allowance comes with conditions: the forces must withdraw according to an agreed timeline, and Israel must commit to this arrangement in writing.
