Netanyahu Cancels Trip Abroad Amid Reports on Progress in Israel-Hamas Deal

Aug

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday that he was canceling a planned trip to Colombia, citing "the situation in the south."

Netanyahu’s cancellation comes amid reported progress in talks between Israel and Hamas leadership in the Strip, mediated by the UN and Egypt, in an attempt to reach a deal between the two parties.

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– Netanyahu cancels trip to Colombia.

BREAKING: @netanyahu cancels visit to Colombia due to the ‘situation in the south’ (#Gaza border). This is happening while @nmladenov reports ‘positive’ talks on a deal between Israel & Palestinians

— Noa Landau (@noa_landau) August 2, 2018

Netanyahu cancels trip to ColombiaNoa Landau/ Twitter

Sources close to the prime minister have said that part of the reason for the cancelation was the fact that the flight to Bogota from Israel, which takes 17 hours, would have made difficult for Netanyahu to return to Israel should
developments require his presence.

Netanyahu was scheduled to meet with the presidents of Argentina, Guatemala, Chile and Honduras. The Israeli premier’s most recent visit to Latin America was in September of last year, when he visited Argentina.

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Netanyahu is still scheduled to travel to Lithuania and Croatia at the end of this month for meetings h Eastern European leaders.

Earlier today it was reported in Gaza that a delegation of senior Hamas members is headed for the Strip to continue discussions on the Egyptian proposal for a reconciliation between the Palestinian factions.