Israel rejects any deal with Hamas to end the war and insists on invading Rafah

Israeli media denied the validity of what was being circulated regarding an approaching agreement with Hamas to end the war on Gaza, stressing the intention of the occupation army to enter Rafah in all cases.

On Saturday, Israeli Army Radio quoted an unnamed official as saying that Tel Aviv “will not agree to end the war within any deal with Hamas.”

The Israeli official added, "The army will enter Rafah whether a truce is held to release the kidnappers or not."

Earlier Saturday, the Hebrew media spoke to the private channel 12 about great optimism that Hamas would provide a “positive” response later today to the Egyptian proposal, after the United States pledged, through Egypt and Qatar, that the occupation army would completely withdraw from the Gaza Strip and stop... The war ends at the end of 124 days, which is the period of the truce.

The private Cairo News channel also quoted an unnamed high-ranking source as saying that a Hamas delegation had arrived in Cairo, noting “remarkable progress” in the truce negotiations in Gaza.

Last Monday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry announced, in a speech at an international forum in Riyadh, the presence of a proposal from his country at the negotiating table regarding reaching a truce in Gaza, calling on the Palestinian and Israeli sides to study it.

This came after Egyptian media announced that the Hamas delegation had left Cairo and would return again with a written response to an Egyptian proposal.

Israel and Hamas have been conducting indirect negotiations for months, mediated by Egypt and Qatar and with the participation of the United States.

Hamas is committed to ending the war that has been ongoing since last October 7, the withdrawal of the occupation army, the freedom for the displaced to return to their areas, the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid, and an end to the siege, as part of any prisoner exchange deal.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces increasing pressure not to accept a deal that would lead to ending the war and canceling the military operation in Rafah, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir previously threatened to dissolve the government if this happened.