Situation at a glance: New mass protests in Israel for Gaza agreement

In light of cautious hopes for a breakthrough in the negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza war, tens of thousands of people in Israel have demonstrated for the conclusion of an agreement. The hostages held by the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip after more than ten months of war have no time left, “and that is why there must be an agreement now,” the “Times of Israel” quoted the brother of one of the abductees as saying.

The demonstrators again called for the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and new elections. They accuse the prime minister of sabotaging a deal and bowing to the demands of his right-wing coalition partners.

According to Israeli media reports, negotiators want to continue talks on remaining contentious issues today in the Egyptian capital Cairo. The USA, Qatar and Egypt are mediating in the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas. At the same time, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is speaking with the political leadership of the close ally in Israel today to push for an agreement.

Control over Gaza border with Egypt as a point of contention

According to a media report, Israel’s previous demand for permanent control of the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt is one of the last obstacles to an agreement. A proposal submitted by the USA to bridge the outstanding issues initially excluded this demand, reported the Israeli broadcaster Channel 12. Hamas accuses Israel of blocking the negotiations by refusing to withdraw from the so-called Philadelphia Corridor, which runs along the border with Egypt in southern Gaza. Hamas is demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on the other hand, demands that the Israeli army continue to control the Philadelphia Corridor even after a ceasefire, for example to prevent the smuggling of weapons. Another point of contention is the question of the return of residents who have fled to the southern Gaza Strip to the north of the sealed-off coastal area. Netanyahu demands that an agreement prevent the return of armed Hamas fighters to the north. This point is also not included in the bridging proposal, according to Channel 12. If Israel does not show flexibility on these issues, there is no reason for optimism, the broadcaster quoted sources familiar with the negotiations as saying.

A few days ago, Israel’s Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said during a visit to the Philadelphia Corridor that the army could maintain control there without a permanent presence and with only sporadic advances. Meanwhile, the Israeli negotiating team has expressed cautious optimism about a ceasefire after the latest round of talks in the Qatari capital Doha. A deal based on the updated US proposal contains “elements acceptable to Israel,” said a statement from Netanyahu’s office. Another summit is to take place in Cairo by the end of next week. Until then, the negotiators are to continue to negotiate the outstanding issues.

Warnings of possible escalation

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) and counterparts from France, Great Britain and Italy expressed their encouragement in a statement about the prospect of another summit and the preparations for it. “We encourage all parties to continue to participate positively and flexibly in this process,” they wrote. They stressed the importance of avoiding measures that would lead to escalation and undermine the prospect of peace. “There is too much at stake,” they warned.

According to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the war in the Gaza Strip threatens to plunge the entire region into “a relentless cycle of instability.” It is therefore urgently necessary to use the current negotiations to end the war, he said after a meeting with French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné in Cairo, according to a spokesman. An agreement would prevent further bloodshed and protect the region from the consequences of further escalation, he said.

Iran and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon had vowed revenge after the killing of Hamas foreign chief Ismail Haniya in the Iranian capital Tehran and a Hezbollah military commander a good two weeks ago. An attack had been expected ever since. Both are allied with Hamas and could refrain from a larger, possibly coordinated attack against Israel in the event of a ceasefire in Gaza.

Relatives of hostages demand deal

A representative of Hamas, which did not take part in the talks in Doha, was cautious about the outcome of the talks. In May, US President Joe Biden presented a proposal to end the war in three phases. It initially envisages an unrestricted ceasefire of six weeks. During this time, a certain group of hostages would be released. In return, Palestinians imprisoned in Israel would be released. After that, the fighting would stop permanently and the remaining hostages would be released. In a final phase, the reconstruction of Gaza would begin.

According to Israeli figures, Hamas still has 115 hostages in its power, of which Israel has declared 41 dead. In addition, other hostages whose fate is unknown are probably no longer alive. During the renewed nationwide mass protests in Israel, the father of one hostage said, according to the Israeli newspaper “Haaretz”: “Even if this is not a perfect deal, it is the only deal there is.”

The Gaza War was triggered by the terrorist attack by Hamas and other extremists from the Gaza Strip on southern Israel on October 7. Around 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others were abducted into the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, around 40,000 people have since been killed in the sealed-off coastal area as a result of the war.