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Avi Melamed’s insights quoted in “Egypt puts Hamas on notice to agree to deal with Israel or face loss of final stronghold”, an article by Aurora Bosotti for the Express UK.
Former Israeli intelligence officer Avi Melamed argued Egypt is pressing Hamas into agreeing to a ceasefire deal to avoid having to handle a mass refugee crisis amid growing tensions in the region.
EXCLUSIVE: Egypt has taken a leading role in brokering communications between Hamas and Israel in hopes of pushing the two sides into agreeing to a ceasefire.
Egypt has ramped up pressure on Hamas to reach an agreement for the release of Israeli hostages or face a devastating ground invasion of Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Cairo took a leading role in ceasefire negotiations but over the weekend issued a two-week ultimatum to Hamas as fears grow of a potential outpour of refugees into the country from the Rafah crossing.
Palestinians seeking to flee persistent Israeli bombardments were repeatedly told to move south towards the town – which now homes an estimated 1.4 million refugees.
Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday ordered the evacuation of the area before launching another wave of air raids on the town, leaving civilians stuck without the chance of escape.
Former Israeli intelligence officer Avi Melamed argued Egypt is pressing Hamas into agreeing to a ceasefire deal to avoid having to handle a mass refugee crisis amid growing tensions in the region.
He told the Daily Express US: “Egypt remains the most potentially powerful advocate with Hamas’s Gaza-based leadership because it serves as the gateway to Gaza, controlling the flow of aid and evacuees going into and coming out of Gaza and can potentially limit the flow of people out of Gaza on Hajj during Ramadan.
“Last week we saw traded ‘unsingable’ drafts. Because of Israel’s impending advance on Rafah, the border area with Egypt and Hamas’s last stronghold in the Gaza Strip, Egypt has set an ultimatum to Hamas of two weeks to negotiate and implement a deal.
“Egypt does not want Gazans to violate its sovereignty in their fleeing Israel’s advancement and has reinforced its border to avoid it being overrun as it has been historically when Gazans are fleeing danger, including those posed by Hamas itself.”
Earlier this month, Israel rejected a proposed deal Hamas put forward claiming “absolute victory” over the militant group remains possible.
Netanyahu, however, is facing pressure on all sides amid an outcry from the international community over the loss of civilian life in Gaza and the families of hostages’ continued demand to bring the captives home.
Melamed argued the liberation of two more Israeli-Argentinian hostages over the weekend shows the country’s commitment to securing the release of everyone.
However, Netanyahu’s ongoing war on Hamas has allegedly sparked the frustration of US President Joe Biden – who slammed his operation in Gaza as “over the top.”
The White House on Sunday confirmed Biden had spoken to the Israeli Prime Minister urging him to put his incursion into Rafah on hold until he found a “credible” solution to limit civilian casualties.
According to officials in Gaza, which has been under Hamas’s control since 2006, over 28,000 people have died since Israel launched its military campaign on the enclave on October 8.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also told reporters Tuesday that Israel has imposed restrictions that are limiting the distribution of desperately needed humanitarian aid in Gaza.
He said the current mechanisms for protecting humanitarian workers distributing aid in Gaza “are not effective.”
Guterres has spent months calling for a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza.
In recent days he has expressed fear over what could happen to the displaced Palestinians who have crowded into Rafah if Netanyahu goes ahead with his announced military offensive in the southern city.
Avi Melamed’s insights quoted in “Egypt puts Hamas on notice to agree to deal with Israel or face loss of final stronghold”, an article by Aurora Bosotti for the Express UK.
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