US: Rafah Strike Should Not Affect Hostage Negotiations Ahead of Anticipated Spy Chiefs Meeting, Reports Reuters

By Humeyra Pamuk and Jonathan Landay

WASHINGTON – Israeli airstrikes in Rafah are not expected to disrupt ongoing negotiations for a deal between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas regarding the release of hostages, according to a U.S. official on Monday. This comes ahead of anticipated discussions between intelligence chiefs in Egypt.

Senior representatives from the United States, Egypt, Israel, and Qatar are set to reconvene negotiations in Cairo on Tuesday. They aim to develop a three-phase framework to secure the release of hostages and facilitate an extended pause in hostilities, according to informed sources.

This framework was established in Paris last month with the participation of CIA Director Bill Burns, Israeli Mossad leader David Barnea, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani (who also holds the title of foreign minister), and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.

Despite Israel’s rejection last week of a Hamas counterproposal—which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labeled as "delusional"—the upcoming discussions involving Burns and Sheikh Mohammed are still on the agenda.

U.S. officials have indicated that while some aspects of the Hamas counterproposal may not be negotiable, there remains room to work towards an agreement, and it is Washington’s goal to advance those talks.

However, the rising conflict in Rafah has raised concerns that Israel’s military actions in the southern region of Gaza—where approximately 1 million civilians have sought refuge amid ongoing airstrikes—could jeopardize the hostage negotiations.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller declined to confirm Tuesday’s talks but emphasized that Israel’s military actions should not influence the negotiations. "Israel has had an ongoing military campaign, so I don’t know why a new set of strikes would change the nature of these negotiations," Miller stated.

Gaza health officials report that over 28,000 Palestinians have died in Israeli operations following the deadly actions by Hamas on October 7, when over 1,200 people were killed in southern Israel and 240 hostages were taken, according to Israeli sources. More than 100 hostages were released in a previous agreement that included a temporary cessation of hostilities.

In light of Netanyahu’s rejection of the proposal, there are uncertainties regarding the participation of the Israeli delegation. When asked if Israel would commit to attending Tuesday’s discussions, Miller reiterated that Washington will continue to strive for negotiations aimed at securing hostages’ release and a temporary halt in fighting.

"We do believe that these discussions are important," he added.

In response to inquiries about the negotiations, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri stated, "Hamas has shown great flexibility in the talks to end the aggression and swap the captives, but the occupation is still stalling and disrespecting the efforts that are being done."