Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented this evening (Monday) on reports of progress in the talks in Cairo and said that military action in Rafah is necessary in order to achieve victory in the war.
"Today I received a detailed report on the talks in Cairo, we are working around the clock to achieve our goals, primarily the release of all our hostages and achieving a complete victory over Hamas," Netanyahu said.
He added: "This victory requires entry into Rafah and the elimination of the terrorist battalions there. It will happen - there is a date set."
According to a publication in the Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, as part of the deal, the war will stop for six weeks, during which 40 hostages will be released. In the past, Hamas refused a similar offer and has not yet responded to the current offer.
Hamas continues to hold over 130 Israelis hostage. According to some reports, over 30 of the hostages have been killed. Under this proposal, Hamas would not release more than two-thirds of the hostages it still holds captive.
At the same time, the proposal increased the number of displaced people who would be allowed to return to the northern Gaza Strip from 2,000 to 6,000. Another dispute regarding the displaced is Israel's demand to check everyone who returns to the northern Gaza Strip to ensure that terrorist operatives are not among them, a demand that Hamas refuses.