Negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a hostage deal have been put on hold as the fighting in Rafah continues, officials said.
The terror group’s delegation in Cairo has mostly stepped away from the negotiating table following the IDF’s advancements in Rafah, southern Gaza’s most populous city, sources familiar with the talks told Politico.
Hamas is allegedly still willing to continue the talks, with US mediators in Qatar working to keep the negotiations going with the Jewish State.
The terror group’s stance comes as Israel’s own negotiation team departed from Cairo without setting a date for their return, The Times of Israel reports.
While the US and world leaders have stressed the importance of keeping the negotiation channels open between Hamas and Israel, the hope for a cease-fire deal has taken a hit following Israel’s incursion into Rafah, which houses more than a million refugees.
The Jewish State announced the start of its operation in Rafah after Hamas rejected its latest cease-fire deal and proposed its own on Monday, which Israeli leaders slammed as “deception” for including non-starters like calling for a permanent end to the war.
The Hamas deal also sought to include dead bodies in the proposed hostage exchange that asked for the release of 33 hostages.
News of the deal had led to pre-emptive celebrations in the streets of Gaza as civilians believed the fighting would stop.
The Hamas proposal came after the Israeli military sent out evacuation warnings to thousands of Palestinians in Rafah.
Israeli tanks seized control of the Rafah Crossing on Tuesday, with armored vehicles and troops engaging in skirmishes with Hamas gunmen in the city outskirts as thousands of Palestinians attempted to flee the city.
Despite facing opposition from the US over the fear that more civilians would be caught up in the fighting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that military pressure is the best way to free the more than 130 hostages in Gaza.
Netanyahu is allegedly ready to reject any hostage deal that would stop the operation in Rafah from proceeding, former and current US officials told NBC News.
The prime minister has reiterated that the IDF will not withdraw from Gaza until all of Hamas is eradicated, with the Israeli military believing that four terror battalions are operating in Rafah.