It is known that until Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas reached a dramatic agreement on the release of hostages, there were intense behind-the-scenes negotiations between intelligence agencies such as the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Israeli Mossad, and a persuasion battle by leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden.
On the 23rd (local time), the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) cited U.S. and Middle Eastern government officials involved in the hostage release negotiations and assessed it as “one of the most complex negotiations in history.” According to the WSJ, immediately after Hamas’ attack on Israel, the United States ordered Qatar, which can communicate with high-ranking Hamas officials, to form a ‘cell’ to negotiate the release of hostages and requested Qatar and Egypt to mediate the negotiations.
Initially, negotiations for the release of hostages seemed to be speeding up when Hamas released two American women on the 20th of last month, but a battle of wits began when Israel rejected Hamas’ request to “release additional hostages if the infiltration of ground troops in the Gaza Strip is postponed.” . Accordingly, Qatar proposed to Hamas the release of women and children hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, but Hamas only provided a list of 10 of the 50 hostages to be released.
Meanwhile, as Israel began its ground war in earnest, Hamas halted negotiations. CIA Director William Burns and Mossad Director David Varnia drafted an agreement in Qatar, but Hamas again cut off contact, demanding an end to Israeli operations against Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical institution in the Gaza Strip.
President Biden called the Emir of Qatar and demanded that Hamas provide identification information on 50 hostages eligible for release, saying, “This will be our last (negotiation) opportunity.” Subsequently, when Israel took control of Al-Shifa Hospital, which Hamas was known to have used as a command and control center, Hamas eventually provided information on the release of hostages, increasing the possibility of a settlement.
However, at the end of the negotiations, Hamas demanded that Israel stop drone reconnaissance during the cessation of hostilities, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused, putting the agreement on the verge of collapse. President Biden is said to have strongly pressured Prime Minister Netanyahu to accept this. A U.S. government official told WSJ, “This agreement can be broken at any time as it is an agreement involving Hamas, which the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization, and Israel, which has declared that it will annihilate them.”
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.