The White House said on Thursday that contacts led by US Middle East Coordinator Brett McGurk are underway with Qatar, Egypt and Israel to advance negotiations for a ceasefire and exchange deal in the Gaza Strip.
US National Security Council Strategic Communications Advisor John Kirby confirmed that there is no agreement yet on the issue of exchanging prisoners and detainees within the expected agreement, which is a “fundamental issue.”
He added – in an unscripted briefing – that the White House believes that the differences over the ceasefire agreement in Gaza can be resolved and that the American focus is on that.
Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the head of the Israeli foreign intelligence agency (Mossad), David Barnea, is not participating in the negotiations with the Americans, but rather they are being managed on the Israeli side by a minister close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
New York Times, citing Israeli officials: Netanyahu’s conflicting messages are causing confusion in the ceasefire talks#Aljazeera #News pic.twitter.com/HlSJiaoxCB
— Tel Aviv Tribune Palestine (@AJA_Palestine) September 5, 2024
artificial resuscitation
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation also said – quoting sources – that all heads of the negotiating team will meet Netanyahu for the first time in two weeks, noting that Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) are sticking to their positions and that what is happening is reviving the talks with “artificial resuscitation.”
Israeli officials confirmed that there is currently no optimism about achieving a breakthrough after Washington presented a proposal to bridge the gaps, according to what was reported by Israel’s Channel 12.
Netanyahu denied to Fox News reports that an agreement on Gaza was 90% close, stressing that they were “inaccurate.”
This comes as Hamas confirmed that it is committed to accepting US President Joe Biden’s proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner exchange, calling on Washington to exert “real pressure” on Israel.
Member of the movement’s political bureau, Khalil Al-Hayya, said during a press conference that Hamas does not need new papers or proposals regarding the negotiations, stressing the need to force the occupation to implement the pledges in light of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s evasion.
Next month, May 27, 2017. Please don’t worry pic.twitter.com/eclZ6gKieA
– Here we go (@lirishavit) September 5, 2024
demonstrations
This political movement coincides with the continuation of demonstrations demanding the signing of a prisoner exchange deal inside Israel, as dozens of families of Israelis held in Gaza demonstrated today in the center of Tel Aviv, carrying 6 empty coffins covered with the Israeli flag.
The demonstrators held Netanyahu responsible for the deaths of six detained prisoners announced by the army last week.
The families of the prisoners said in a press conference: “Prime Minister, you have abandoned our sons. If you do not return them, we will make sure to return them. The abandonment of them must end, here and now.”
It is noteworthy that the families of the Israeli prisoners in Gaza have, over the past months, directed sharp criticism at Netanyahu’s positions regarding stopping the war and signing a swap deal, without succeeding in changing them.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has continued its devastating war on Gaza, with broad American support, which has so far left more than 135,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and deadly famine.