Iran Press/West Asia: According to a Wednesday report by Al Jazeera, Haaretz quoted a Western diplomat as saying that Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to withdraw from the Philadelphia Corridor in southern Gaza has prompted Hamas to adopt a more rigid stance in negotiations.
The Western diplomat indicated that Netanyahu’s position has led Hamas to harden its stance regarding the number of Israeli prisoners that the regime must release in exchange.
The report also mentioned that the U.S. government has warned Israel about the risk of escalating tensions and a potential all-out war with Lebanon. Washington expressed concerns that the failure to reach an agreement with Hamas could push Israel into a conflict with Hezbollah.
Haaretz further cited an American official who said, "We support Israel’s actions against Hezbollah, but the consequences of a widespread war must be carefully considered."The U.S. official added, “In August, we felt that the risk of war was extremely high, and we tried to broker a prisoner exchange deal to avoid it.”The deadly Gaza conflict is now in its twelfth month, as indirect, turbulent negotiations between the Israeli regime and the Hamas resistance movement, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, with U.S. involvement, have been ongoing for several months in pursuit of an agreement.
One of the most contentious issues currently is Prime Minister Netanyahu's insistence on occupying the Philadelphia Corridor, located along the Gaza-Egypt border. Meanwhile, Hamas is demanding a full Israeli military withdrawal from the area.
Israel's state-run radio and television previously reported that Mossad chief David Barnea has emphasized Israel’s insistence on maintaining control of the Philadelphia Corridor during the first phase of any agreement, claiming that a withdrawal would only occur in the second phase.
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