ALBAWABA -At a military review of Israeli forces in the Netzarim Corridor, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that there are signs that Hamas has no intention of reaching a deal with the Tel Aviv administration on exchanging prisoners. This, he said, is a precursor to a major military assault in Rafah and other parts of the Gaza Strip.
In Cairo, talks are underway to explore a new truce and a reciprocal prisoner swap arrangement sponsored by Qatar and Egypt. Israel said that until Hamas responds to the ceasefire request and makes it clear that it will not accept an end to the fighting, it would not send a team to Cairo.
Despite international warnings, senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reaffirm their plan to launch a ground invasion on Rafah, the destination of at least a million fleeing Palestinians.
As part of the prisoner swap arrangement, Hamas expects guarantees of an ongoing truce in Gaza that would put an end to the violence.
There are around 130 Israeli captives in Gaza, some of whom are alive and others of whom are dead, according to Israeli officials. The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas, had earlier said that Israeli assaults on Gaza had resulted in the deaths of over seventy Israeli detainees.
Israeli hostages' families and allies caution that an assault on Rafah would be a callous disregard for the life of the detainees.
