Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, reportedly met 'secretly' with his prime minister and foreign minister CatarrhMohammed bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference to discuss ongoing negotiations to declare a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip to free Hamas hostages, the US news outlet reported on Friday. website Axios, citing two sources briefed on the matter.
The unusual meeting between the president and the prime minister came at a “critical” moment in the negotiations, according to Axios, as negotiators continue efforts to make progress despite a wide gap in what the government is seeking Israel and on the other hand the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, better known by its acronym Hamas.
Citing an unnamed source, the site noted that Mr. Herzog took with him to Munich some of the hostages released in November and relatives of hostages.
According to Israeli sources, they remain in the hands of Hamas in Gaza Strip More than 130 Israeli hostages — although a military spokesman said last week that at least 31 of them were believed to be dead — are among the roughly 250 abducted when Hamas launched an unprecedented offensive in southern Israel on October 7. A week-long truce in November allowed the release of more than 105 of them and in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. On both sides, it was mostly women and children.
US-backed Qatari and Egyptian officials broker new truce in the war lasting more than four months.
The aim is to free other hostages and Palestinian prisoners in phases and to distribute more aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argues that the complete lack of progress is due to the “delusional” claims of Hamas.
Negotiators hope that an agreement will be reached before Ramadanstarting on March 10, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported, citing diplomatic sources.
In addition to Israeli President Herzog, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz was expected to participate in the Munich conference. Also present will be representatives of the Palestinian Authority and Arab countries, notably Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan. The session ends tomorrow, Sunday.
Source: News Beast

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