Egyptian intelligence has been accused of secretly changing the terms of a ceasefire proposal that Israel had already agreed to, leading to the collapse of a deal that could have released hostages and Palestinian prisoners and temporarily ended the fighting in Gaza.
According to three sources familiar with the discussions, the ceasefire agreement that Hamas agreed to on May 6 was not the same as the one submitted to them for final review by the Qataris and Americans. The changes made by Egyptian intelligence, which have not been previously reported, sparked outrage and recrimination among US, Qatari, and Israeli officials, leaving ceasefire talks at a standstill.
“We were all duped,” one source told CNN.
CIA Director Bill Burns, who has been leading American efforts to broker a ceasefire, was reportedly angry and embarrassed when he learned of the changes, feeling that it made him appear out of the loop or unaware of the changes.
The soft-spoken and mild-mannered Burns “almost blew a gasket,” the source said.
A senior Egyptian intelligence official, Ahmed Abdel Khalek, is said to have made the changes, which included inserting additional Hamas demands into the original framework that Israel had tacitly agreed to. However, the other mediators and the Israelis were not informed of these changes.
The Egyptian government declined to comment on the matter.
This development comes after Hamas announced earlier this month that it would hold consultations with Palestinian factions and re-examine its negotiation strategy, citing Israel’s refusal to agree to a 12-week ceasefire instead of a six-week ceasefire during hostage negotiations.
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One Response
Remember:
Hamas is the military arm of the Muslim brotherhood. Considering that Egypt’s government overthrew the prior government which was largely comprised of Muslim brotherhood representatives, it is in the Egyptian government’s interest to see Hamas destroyed thoroughly; the sooner the better.
They want Israel to take Rafah, but need to present as opposing it to avoid turmoil.