TEHRAN (defapress) - Israeli media reported on Friday that the head of the Prisoners of War and Missing Persons Center, Nitzan Alon, and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar "do not intend to travel to Qatar next week" to discuss the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.
The military affairs commentator for Israeli Channel 12, Nir Dvori, said that both senior officials believe that "traveling is pointless" because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "wants to introduce changes to the deal that Hamas will not accept. Therefore, only Mossad chief Yossi Cohen will travel."
Sources told Reuters that the occupation entity is seeking to introduce modifications that would complicate the negotiations. These modifications involve inspecting forcibly displaced people as they return to northern areas and controlling the border with Egypt (Philadelphia Axis), among other issues.
Furthermore, citing sources familiar with the negotiations, Dvori said: "We are losing momentum. The opportunity for the deal is passing. Netanyahu is acting as if he has abandoned the hostages. We are on the way to missing the deal."
The Israeli security and military establishments believe that if a deal to return the captives is not reached now, it "will lead to the outbreak of war in the north at a time that is not suitable for Israel," he continued.
"Israel is not strategically ready for any additional military escalation, according to the security and military establishment."