Egyptian officials blamed a lack of Israeli-American will to end the war, the Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper Al Akhbar reported.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFMAY 3, 2025 10:07Updated: MAY 3, 2025 10:35
“There is nothing new that can be negotiated” to achieve a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, an Egyptian official involved in negotiations told Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper Al Akhbar on Saturday.
“There are no more concessions that can be forced on Hamas. The real crisis lies in the lack of Israeli-American will to end the war, ” he added.
Al Akhbar reported that an Egyptian official emphasized that the root of the impasse is a lack of political will from both the US and Israel to end the war, describing Washington’s reliance on Israeli military pressure to shift Hamas’s stance as a “misguided bet.”
Israel refuses to fully withdraw from key parts of Gaza. It insists on a security buffer zone, a demand for Hamas to completely disarm, and to release the Israeli hostages captive in Gaza since October 2023.
Egyptian sources who also spoke to the Saudi newspaper Al-Arabiya claimed on Friday that Israel withdrew from the previously agreed-upon terms of a hostage deal.
Terrorists from the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas and mourners attend the funeral of fighters who were killed during the Israel-Hamas War in the al-Shati camp, in Gaza City, February 28, 2025. (credit: Khalil Kahlout/Flash90)
Hostage families expressed their concerns
Following the claims, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) denied reports published by Arab media claiming that Israel rejected a hostage-ceasefire deal proposal.
Even though the PMO denied the reports, hostage families immediately began expressing their concerns.
Abd al-Rahman Shadid, a senior Hamas political bureau official, reiterated on Friday the claim that Hamas has submitted a proposal to release all the hostages, which includes a long-term ceasefire for 5 years, Walla reported.
Danielle Greyman-Kennard contributed to this report. This is a developing story.
Content retrieved from: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-852441.
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