Egypt delegation in Israel attempts to broker cease-fire agreement in Gaza
PBS NewsHourMay 04
Egypt Responds to Report Claiming Official Changed Cease-fire Terms
Above: People sit by their destroyed homes following Israeli air strikes on March 29, 2024 in Rafah, Gaza. Image copyright: Ahmad Hasaballah/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
After CNN released a report on Tuesday alleging that a senior Egyptian intelligence official had changed the terms of a cease-fire proposal between Israel and Hamas without telling other mediators and negotiators, Egypt threatened to withdraw from its role as a mediator.
The CNN report, based on comments from unnamed officials, claimed that Ahmed Abdel Khalek, a senior deputy to the Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel, changed the terms of the proposal so that Hamas would agree to it.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
It is unclear why Egypt would risk jeopardizing a cease-fire that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called "extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel." Though Egypt will likely remain as a mediator, Qatar will certainly play a larger role in the next round of talks, but it will also depend on whether Hamas wants to make concessions or not.
Pro-Israel narrative
Egyptian intelligence toyed with the cease-fire proposal in a desperate attempt to end or shorten the war, as it has created negative perceptions of Egypt's government. It's to be expected that Egyptian officials must publicly decry Israel's legitimate security operations, but, behind closed doors, there have been no significant changes to the Egyptian-Israeli relationship.
Pro-Palestine narrative
It is a shame that the US media and political apparatus constantly feel the need to cover Israel's intransigence at every turn. After seven months of a grinding campaign of destruction, displacement, and famine, it should be clear that Israel is not interested in ending the war. There was nothing in Hamas' proposal that is surprising. Netanyahu simply needs an excuse to extend the war and his political career, and the Americans are helping him.