The Rafah conundrum: Israel's challenge and Hamas' demands amidst complex negotiations

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

On Tuesday, Mossad's head, David Barnea, returned to Israel while the delegation members remained in Qatar to continue negotiations amidst numerous and complex obstacles. 

Among the prominent obstacles is Hamas' demand to name the 150 security prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment and return them to their Palestinian towns, a demand Israel rejects. 

Israel also rejects the movement's demand to cancel the division of the Gaza Strip, maintain the separated corridors, and the free return of all residents to the north.

Simultaneously, American pressure is mounting to finalize the captive exchange deal. 

While awaiting the arrival of Secretary of State Antony Blinken to both Saudi Arabia and Egypt, President Joe Biden emphasized to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a call the necessity to reach an agreement on the prisoner exchange and to devise a clear plan to enter Rafah, focusing primarily on evacuating one million four hundred thousand Palestinians from there.

Meanwhile, an Israeli delegation is heading to Washington to discuss the details of the Rafah operation, despite Netanyahu's refusal for Mossad and Shin Bet representatives to meet an American delegation that arrived in Israel.

Amidst the complications and disagreements regarding the prisoner exchange deal and the ongoing fighting in Gaza, more than one security and political official considered Israel's problem not to be Rafah but what comes after Rafah.

While concerns persist about the failure to reach an agreement between Hamas and the Israeli negotiating delegation in Qatar, Israelis' more significant concern lies in the possibility of government ministers and the war cabinet thwarting any deal. 

The majority of them refuse to release Palestinian prisoners they describe as "significant," as well as any conditions that could undermine the achievements of the war. 

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz stated that there are "red lines" that will not be compromised, regardless of the cost.