Report: Egypt, Qatar refuse release of all Israeli captives before war ends

An Egyptian official has revealed that Egypt and Qatar do not agree to the release of all Israeli captives until the war ends, Ma’an news agency reported, citing the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar.

He added that both countries want to ensure that all Israeli captives are only handed over once there is a clearly agreed pathway guaranteeing that the war will not resume.

The official noted that despite the relative stability of the truce, it remains at greater risk of collapsing now than ever before.

He added that current US efforts clearly aim to maintain pressure on the resistance movement. However, this is no longer reasonable since it has complied with all previously agreed terms.

Cairo believes that Hamas’ implicit approval of not solely governing the Gaza Strip could pave the way for an alternative administration based on a Palestinian consensus until elections are held.

According to the official, this approach is a cornerstone of Egypt’s current strategy, which it plans to present in principle at the five-party Arab  summit in Riyadh at the end of the week.

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