Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated that on May 6, following Hamas' acceptance of the proposal from Egypt and Qatar, he had a conversation with the movement's senior political leader, Ismail Haniyeh.
Haniyeh informed his counterpart that the ball was now in Israel's court. "We negotiated honestly," the Hamas leader added.
Al-Jazeera TV quoted Haaretz journalist Gideon Levy as concurring that the ball was in Israel's court. He described Hamas' announcement as a strategic move that was humiliating for Israel.
"Netanyahu faces a very tough decision. He risks losing his coalition. On the other hand, rejecting the offer would suggest that Israel seeks war, not resolution," he commented, noting that neither war has brought benefits to Israel nor the Palestinians.
