Posted on 01/02/24
| News Source: JPost
Hamas froze talks for a second deal to release additional hostages held in Gaza after Israel assassinated deputy Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut, according to the Al Arabiya news outlet.
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said the assassination was a “terrorist act,” a violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty, and an expansion of Israel’s hostility against Palestinians.
Before the assassination, Israel had been hopeful that Hamas had slightly softened its stance and that a middle ground could be found that would allow for a deal to move forward to secure the release of some of the 129 captives remaining in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Tuesday with representatives for the hostage families. In a statement after the meeting, he said, “The effort [for a deal] is continuing. The contacts are being held; they have not been cut off.
“There was an ultimatum from Hamas; now it has been softened. These contacts are being held now,” Netanyahu said.
The assassination also distracted Israel from focusing on conversations regarding plans for the day after Hamas is eliminated and reportedly caused US Secretary Antony Blinken to push off until next week his trip to Israel.
Earlier in the day, Blinken spoke with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron about Middle East threats and other issues, including delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the importance of combating the Houthi threat against Red Sea shipping routes. They spoke of a “shared interest in upholding freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Red Sea,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller wrote on X.