US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Israel as he seeks a truce deal to end the war in Gaza.
After meetings the day before in Egypt and Qatar, both mediators between Hamas and Israel, Blinken landed in Jerusalem on Wednesday for his fifth tour of the tense region since October last year. He will meet, among others, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog to discuss the Palestinian group’s response to the proposed agreement.
Hamas has already declared that any agreement must bring a definitive end to the war. Israel has said it will not definitively stop the war until Hamas is destroyed.
The Palestinian group said in a statement Tuesday that it had reviewed “the comprehensive ceasefire agreement…with a positive spirit,” including details on ensuring relief and shelter, reconstruction, lifting of a 17-year-old paralyzing siege and the completion of the process. of the “prisoner exchange” process.
On Wednesday, Hamas announced that it had presented a counter-proposal. The document outlines a three-step ceasefire plan under which the group would exchange Israeli captives captured on October 7 for Palestinian prisoners, ensure the reconstruction of Gaza and ensure the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces as well as the exchange of bodies and remains.
Mohammad Nazzal, a senior official in Hamas’ political bureau, told Tel Aviv Tribune that the counterproposal sets clear deadlines, particularly for a ceasefire, which he said was missing from the initial proposal.
“None of these details can be compromised,” he insisted. “The Israeli killing machine must be stopped. We want to see the Israeli occupying forces completely withdraw from the Gaza Strip. Our response is realistic and our demands are reasonable.
‘Essential’
Blinken will now discuss the response with Israel.
Speaking to reporters in Doha on Tuesday, the U.S. official called the deal “essential.”
“There is still a lot of work to do. But we continue to believe that an agreement is possible and even essential, and we will continue to work tirelessly to achieve it,” he said.
The same day, Netanyahu’s office said Hamas’ response was under review.
“Hamas’ response was transmitted to Mossad by the Qatari mediator. Its details are being thoroughly evaluated by officials involved in the negotiations,” said a statement from Israel’s foreign intelligence agency.
Sources close to the talks said the initially proposed truce would last at least 40 days, during which Hamas would release civilians among the remaining prisoners.
Other phases would follow to hand over soldiers and corpses of captives in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.
Hamas’ counterproposal envisages an initial truce lasting 45 days, leading to an agreement on a complete cessation of hostilities.
The Palestinian group’s plan for a three-stage prisoner exchange requires Israeli troops to leave Gaza and a full ceasefire to be agreed before the second stage can take place.
Nazzal noted that this condition is being put forward because Hamas wants to verify whether the Israelis are “seriously committed to this agreement.”
“We expect a negotiation to begin. Once this begins, all obstacles can be overcome along the way to reach a final agreement by which we can cross the i’s and cross the t’s,” he said.
‘On top’
Qatar said Tuesday that Hamas was “generally positive” about the proposed deal, which it negotiated alongside Egypt and the United States, also in the presence of Israeli officials.
However, there is less optimism in other quarters, reports Tel Aviv Tribune’s Rory Challands from occupied East Jerusalem.
“The Qataris are confident that a deal is within their reach, but if you go elsewhere I think that positivity starts to fade a bit. »
“Americans seem to be less positive,” he continued, noting that President Joe Biden reportedly said overnight that “Hamas’ response appears to be ‘a little over the top’.”
It is believed that Blinken’s efforts will likely encounter greater setbacks on Wednesday.
“In Israel, the atmosphere is much more negative. Hamas says ‘end the war’, Israel says ‘no way’,” Challands added.
“Honest Analysis”
Blinken will also meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later on Wednesday, with potential post-war scenarios likely to be discussed.
The United States insists that a Palestinian state, even if not controlled by Hamas, is essential to achieving lasting peace. Blinken also emphasized that Israeli integration is an integral part of the American vision for the region.
However, Netanyahu has suggested he does not foresee a two-state solution, although he has yet to clearly outline his post-war plans.
Under intense political pressure at home, Netanyahu continues to insist that the military campaign will only end when Hamas is destroyed. That means the devastating war could last at least months unless a deal is negotiated or the United States, Israel’s biggest backer, reins in its ally.
Blinken also arranged a private meeting with Israeli military leader Herzi Halevi. Israeli media suggests that this “unusual” private meeting could be an attempt to get a more “honest” analysis of the state of the conflict.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said 18 of Hamas’s 24 battalions had been dismantled. However, war observers have called this into question.
NEW | Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on February 5 that Israeli operations had dismantled 18 of Hamas’s 24 battalions, rendering them “no longer functional as combat military organizations.”
The Israeli military previously announced that Israeli forces had “dismantled” all of Hamas… pic.twitter.com/GucfHm3jYK
– Critical Threats (@criticalthreats) February 7, 2024
Meanwhile, the Israeli army continues to move south toward the city of Rafah and the Egyptian border, putting Cairo and the rest of the region on alert and threatening the 1.4 million of internally displaced Palestinians crowded into the area in search of safety.
Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza after Hamas fighters killed 1,139 people in southern Israel on October 7 and took around 240 prisoners, according to an Tel Aviv Tribune tally based on official Israeli figures.
At least 27,585 people have been confirmed killed during the Israeli military campaign, and thousands more may be buried under rubble, according to Gaza health authorities.
