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- August 20, 2024
- 1:12 pm
- Middle East
Israel has agreed to a proposal aimed at bridging differences over a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza, according to a statement from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Blinken also called on Hamas, which the US and EU have designated as a terrorist organization, to accept the proposal. Despite the agreement, however, significant questions remain about how well the proposal meets both sides' demands.
Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a 2.5-hour meeting on August 19, after which he called the talks important but did not provide details about what Israel had agreed to. Netanyahu, in a video message, stressed that his priority was to free as many hostages as possible in the first phase of the deal.
Despite optimism about a possible breakthrough, talks in the Qatari capital, Doha, have been postponed until next week. Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States confirmed that the talks had been constructive but had not yet produced concrete results. The United States has presented a new proposal, building on previous agreements, to bridge the gap and ensure a swift deal is implemented.
Meanwhile, the White House has expressed doubts about Hamas’s participation in further negotiations, despite significant progress in Israel’s position. Taher al-Nunu, a political adviser to the Hamas leader, criticized Blinken’s statements, calling them biased in favor of Israel and aimed at covering up Zionist crimes. He emphasized that Hamas will not accept an agreement that does not guarantee a complete ceasefire and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.
The authoritative American publication The Wall Street Journal also noted that Hamas leader Yhiye Sinwar considers the current round of negotiations a bluff aimed at buying time to continue the war. The publication says that Israel cannot approve a deal that will allow Hamas to return to future conflicts. Instead, it proposes increasing pressure on Hamas, but the Biden administration does not seem inclined to take such actions, preferring to increase pressure on Israel.
Blinken is planning blitz visits to Cairo and Doha to press mediators to bring Hamas to the negotiating table, but the chances of that happening remain slim. Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan has already made it clear that any US-Israel deal is meaningless unless it is agreed with Hamas.
The situation continues to develop in a vicious circle, which is probably Sinwar’s strategic goal. The media reports that the proposal Netanyahu agreed to includes a softening of Israel’s position on control over strategic corridors, but there is no official confirmation of this information yet.
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