Itongadol.- Several cabinet ministers said Thursday that they felt Israel needs to take a harder line in negotiations with Hamas in Cairo. The ministers were called for a cabinet meeting to update them on the progress of the talks, after they had complained of being kept in the dark on the topic.
Cabinet ministers said they were upset that they had not been receiving real-time updates from the negotiations, but instead learned about the five-day extension of the cease-fire from a Hamas spokesman by way of the press.
The cabinet ministers had decided to entrust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya\’alon with all decision-making in the negotiations at a previous meeting, but still felt that they were not being updated quickly enough on the progress.
Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett said Thursday that Israel should stop negotiations with Hamas, and instead take unilateral steps to open the Israeli border crossing to Gaza for humanitarian goods and to forcefully react to any rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. He said the move would wear down Hamas and lead to its defeat.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that no cease-fire agreement can be accepted without the return of the remains of the two fallen soldiers, Sgt. Oron Shaul and Lt. Hadar Goldin.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Yair Lapid suggested that Israel should form a regional committee with other Middle Eastern countries to find a solution that would transfer control of Gaza to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Justice Minister Tzipi Livni expressed support for Lapid\’s suggestion.
The Diplomatic-Security Cabinet convened again Friday to discuss the cease-fire negotiations ahead of the resumption of talks on Sunday. The Israeli delegation is expected to leave for Cairo on Saturday evening.