IDF to attack Rafah during Ramadan if hostage deal not reached: Benny Gantz
The Minister, who was the former Chief of Armed staff, however, said that there were signs of a hostage deal coming through.
The Minister, who was the former Chief of Armed staff, however, said that there were signs of a hostage deal coming through.
The Palestinian-Israeli peace process has been stalled since April 2014, after the US had sponsored the peace negotiations for nine months without making any tangible progress due to deep differences on borders, security, and Israeli settlement.
Sunday’s meeting between Benny Gantz and Mahmoud Abbas signaled a possible shift of direction after the near-complete breakdown of communication between Abbas and Israeli leaders in recent years.
Mr Gantz, too, is none too fortuitously placed with his Blue and White party having splintered over his decision to enter a coalition.
The annexation plan was accepted with widespread condemnations by the Palestinians, most of the Arab world, and the international community.
The diplomatic exchange occurred on the eve of the inauguration of Israel's unity government between Netanyahu and Gantz.
As the decision was delivered, Likud and Blue and White said in a joint statement that the new government would be sworn in on May 13.
The deal was signed on April 20 after neither party succeeded in forming a governing coalition in the country's deeply divided 120-member parliament.
The talks between the teams have continued overnight also after the deadline has expired.
The mandate he received from Rivlin would expire on April 14.
