There are conflicting reports as to whether an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza could be reached soon. International mediators are going full throttle – also because of concerns about a regional escalation.
International efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza war are set to reach a new high point this week. As part of efforts to achieve a breakthrough in the negotiations, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. At the same time, negotiators will meet in smaller groups in Cairo over the course of the week to address remaining contentious issues. A new overarching meeting of top representatives is then scheduled to take place in Cairo within a week. The US, Qatar and Egypt are mediating in the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
The US government is pursuing the strategic goal of ending the Gaza war and the associated confrontations on other fronts in the Middle East before the race for the US presidency enters the decisive phase, wrote the Israeli newspaper “Yediot Achronot”. The US election is in early November.
Thousands of Israelis demonstrated on Saturday evening for an agreement to release more hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. 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.
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.
Netanyahu, on the other hand, demands that the army continue to control the Philadelphia Corridor even after a ceasefire, for example to prevent weapons smuggling. 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.
During a visit to the Philadelphia Corridor a few days ago, Israel’s Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said 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 following 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.
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.
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.
A representative of the Islamist 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, 41 of whom Israel has declared dead. In addition, other hostages whose fate is unknown are probably no longer alive.
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, more than 40,000 people have since been killed in the sealed-off coastal area as a result of the war.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
