Qatar, Egypt and the United States have called on Israel and Hamas to resume negotiations to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as Israel’s continued bombardment of the territory has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians and raised fears of further regional escalation.
In a joint statement released Thursday, the three countries urged Israel and Hamas “to urgently resume discussions” on August 15 in Doha or Cairo “to close all remaining gaps and begin implementing the agreement without further delay.”
“It is time to reach a ceasefire agreement and release the hostages and prisoners,” they said.
“We have worked for months to reach a framework agreement and it is now on the table, all that is missing is the details of its implementation.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office quickly responded to the call, saying in a statement that Israel would send a delegation to attend the talks next week “to finalize the details and implement the framework agreement.”
Hamas, the Palestinian political faction that rules Gaza, has yet to respond.
The joint statement comes amid months of failed attempts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, where the Israeli military assault has killed at least 39,699 Palestinians and wounded 91,722 others since early October.
The recent assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital Tehran – widely believed to have been carried out by Israel – has also raised questions about the prospects for continuing ceasefire negotiations.
The assassination of Haniyeh – who had been a key figure in the negotiations – was seen by many as an attempt by Netanyahu’s government to derail efforts to negotiate an end to the war.
According to Tel Aviv Tribune correspondent Hamdah Salhut, based in Amman, Jordan, the circumstances of Haniyeh’s death will add complexity to any future negotiations.
“There are a lot of moving parts here,” she said, noting the risk of a “retaliatory attack” by Iran or one of its proxies.
“Furthermore, we must remember that the Israelis will now negotiate with Yahya Sinwar, who is the new political leader of Hamas,” Salhut added, referring to Haniyeh’s replacement.
“He is considered a hardliner. Benjamin Netanyahu is considered a hardliner. He has already come into these negotiations with several non-negotiable points and has added to that list.”
However, in their statement on Thursday, Qatar, Egypt and the United States said it was “time to provide immediate relief to both the long-suffering people of Gaza and the hostages and their families.”
“There is no more time to waste and no excuses from any party to delay further,” the countries said.
The statement was signed by US President Joe Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar.
Tel Aviv Tribune senior political analyst Marwan Bishara said the statement shows that mediating nations are starting to lose patience.
“The United States is being pushed to exert increased pressure because of the threat of a broader regional war,” Bishara explained.
“I think the idea here is that they’re going to come back to the negotiating table on August 15, and both Hamas and Israel will seek to iron out the details,” he said.
Bishara said many details remain unclear, including which Palestinian prisoners and captives held in Gaza will be released in the first phase of the deal – and how many.
But the mediating countries believe that they “now have a good framework agreement for a three-stage ceasefire agreement.”
“I think it’s more or less a call to action, a call to urgency – to act faster than before.”
Ariel Gold, executive director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, a U.S.-based nonviolence group, said Thursday’s statement was not yet cause for celebration.
“We’ve been through this situation before in many ways,” Gold told Tel Aviv Tribune, noting that President Biden’s administration has “repeatedly said we’re in the final stretch” of negotiations.
Gold said Biden, who has provided staunch military and diplomatic support to Israel during the war, should make clear to Netanyahu that there will be “a real and definitive consequence for refusing this ceasefire agreement.”
For months, Palestinian rights advocates in the United States have been urging Biden to stop sending weapons to Israel as the war drags on.
Rami Khouri, a professor at the American University of Beirut, said the timing of the statement likely reflects the pressures Biden faces.
“Why the 15th?” Mr. Khouri asked, referring to the date in the joint statement for the resumption of negotiations. “I think it’s because the two most desperate people in the world for a ceasefire, outside of the Palestinians, are Kamala Harris and the genocidal Joe Biden, as he is known in the United States.”
Khouri noted that August 15 comes just days before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. The ongoing fighting in Gaza could spark discord and protests at the convention, which is designed as a platform for Harris’ presidential campaign.
“They are desperate for this ceasefire to happen,” Khouri said, adding that “the moment is incredibly important.”
