
Hamas on Wednesday morning told Arabic media that Israel added new demands in negotiations for a ceasefire-prisoner swap deal, preventing the deal from moving forward.
A diplomatic source rejected these claims, saying, "Hamas is bringing a false claim that Israel added new conditions in negotiations - in order to avoid carrying out the deal."
According to Sky News Arabia, Israel is insisting on the right to veto the release of certain terrorists, and demanding that the IDF remain 700 meters into Rafah - both of which, according to the report, could potentially thwart a deal.
Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that Hamas demanded clear maps from the negotiators, delineating the areas from which the IDF will withdraw, as well as timelines for each withdrawal.
A Hamas source also told the newspaper that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working to thwart the agreement by demanding to add IDF soldiers to the list of prisoners to be released in the first stage of a deal.