Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the Egyptian initiative for a short-term truce with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced, in a joint press conference held with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune yesterday, that his country had proposed an initiative for a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Palestinian factions, starting with two days, then 10 days, during which negotiations would take place to exchange a number of prisoners from both sides.

The Egyptian president indicated that the proposed initiative includes an exchange of Israeli prisoners with some Palestinian prisoners, the number of whom was not specified.

For its part, Hebrew media, including Channel 12 and the official broadcasting authority, reported that the Egyptian initiative includes the release of 4 living Israeli prisoners.

Despite the support of the majority of Israeli ministers for the Egyptian proposal, Tel Aviv decided to reject the small deal proposal due to Netanyahu's opposition, who stressed that negotiations are only taking place under fire, according to what Channel 12 reported on its website.

The channel confirmed that the security establishment in Israel also supported the proposal, and despite the ongoing mediation efforts of Qatar and Egypt for months, and the presentation of one agreement proposal after another to end the war on Gaza and exchange prisoners, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to set new conditions, including "continuing control over the Philadelphi Corridor on the border between Gaza and Egypt, and the Rafah crossing in Gaza, and preventing the return of Palestinian faction fighters to northern Gaza (by inspecting returnees through the Netzarim Corridor in the middle of the Strip).

It is noteworthy that Doha witnessed meetings yesterday, Sunday, between the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and the directors of the "CIA" William Burns, and the Mossad David Barnea.

Reuters quoted an informed official as saying that the talks will seek to reach a new short-term agreement to cease fire in the Gaza Strip and release some hostages held by Hamas in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, while Fox News quoted an informed source as saying that the main goal of the meeting is to discuss a ceasefire that lasts for less than a month.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority said that the head of the Shin Bet did not join the Israeli delegation in Doha.

With American support, Israel has been waging since October 7 2023, a genocidal war on Gaza left more than 143,500 Palestinian martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and famine that killed dozens of children and elderly people, in one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world.

Source: Anadolu Agency + Al Jazeera