US government officials have accused Israel of leaking information to the media about the Trump administration’s would-be-secret direct negotiations with Hamas in an attempt to sabotage the talks, the Ynet news outlet reports.
According to the report, Israel was not informed of the talks between the US and Hamas ahead of time, as a previous attempt to hold such a meeting had been canceled following pressure from Jerusalem.
As such, Ynet reports, when the US decided to go ahead with the talks despite Israel’s stance, it was decided that Jerusalem would not be informed of their existence. Nevertheless, when Israel’s point man on the hostages, Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon, got wind of the talks, he informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about their existence.
The first media reports regarding the existence of the talks between the US and Hamas appeared less than a day after Netanyahu was informed of them, Ynet says, leading the US to suspect it was behind the leak.
Citing US officials, the report suggests that Israel leaked the information with the intent of sabotaging the talks as it is opposed to being left in the dark as other parties make arrangements for the future of the Gaza Strip.
Furthermore, the report suggests that Jerusalem opposes the talks as it is concerned that the US will lose interest in pursuing a complete hostage deal for all remaining captives if it succeeds in freeing the five US citizens held by the Gaza terror group.
Source: The Times of Israel
No comments.
By submitting a comment you grant Free West Media a perpetual license to reproduce your words and name/web site in attribution. Inappropriate and irrelevant comments will be removed at an admin’s discretion. Your email is used for verification purposes only, it will never be shared.