The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar Egyptian sources reported Friday that one of the points of disagreement in negotiations for a hostage deal is the Israeli demand for a complete list of the names of the captives, living and dead. It has also been reported that Egypt is pressuring Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to announce the creation of a post-war Gaza management committee.
Egyptian officials also told the newspaper that reports of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announced visit to Cairo last Tuesday were an Israeli attempt to test Egypt’s readiness for such a visit and the announcement of an agreement since the ‘Egypt.
The Washington Post Separately reported that CIA Director Bill Burns had returned to the United States after only a day in Qatar, but that an American delegation was still in Doha. According to the newspaper, there are obstacles to reaching an agreement, notably concerning the number of hostages who will be released in the first phase, and which Palestinian security prisoners will be released in exchange.
The parties also disagree on how many troops will remain in Gaza, for how long and where exactly in the Gaza Strip. It is also reported that the issue of returning Palestinian residents to the northern Strip remains controversial, as does the management of border crossings into Gaza, as well as whether a Palestinian government will lead after the war.
A senior Mossad representative is in Qatar as part of negotiations for the release of hostages and a ceasefire, it was reported Thursday evening Canand according to an Israeli source, positive progress in the negotiations continues. There is no crisis in the talks themselves, but no breakthrough has yet been recorded.
