Palestinian movement Hamas may halt talks with Israel on Gaza truce and hostage release, kept in the enclave, due to the threat of an Israeli military operation in the town of Rafah (located in the southern part of the Strip). This was reported by the Al Mayadeen TV channel with reference to a source from the Palestinian resistance forces.
„In light of recent events, when the occupying Israeli forces threaten a full or partial invasion of Rafah, Hamas may take a course towards ending the ongoing negotiations,” the source said. According to him, the Israeli side will not be able to use Rafah as a lever to pressure Hamas in the negotiation process.
On Monday, The Times of Israel reported that the Israel Defense Forces had begun evacuating civilians from the eastern neighborhoods of Rafah in preparation for planned military operations. According to her, the military has begun calling on Palestinians to leave the eastern neighborhoods of Rafah, located near the Israeli border, ahead of a planned offensive in the southern Gaza Strip. Civilians have been asked to move to the expanded humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi and Khan Younis.
On May 5, Egypt's Al-Qahira al-Ikhbariya TV channel, citing a high-ranking source, reported that participants in the latest round of Gaza ceasefire talks held in Cairo had made "serious progress" . According to the channel's interlocutor, "the Egyptian delegation has discussed all the necessary details with representatives of Hamas." and soon the members of the organization will leave Cairo. They are expected to return to the Egyptian capital in the next two days and “give a final answer to the proposal”. No other details on the progress and results of the consultations were provided.