ReutersUS President Joe Biden has warned all parties involved in negotiations for a possible ceasefire deal in Gaza not to undermine the efforts.
Biden said “we are closer than ever” to a ceasefire after the latest round of negotiations, but a senior Hamas official expressed skepticism.
The president also announced that he was sending Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Israel to continue “intensive efforts to conclude this agreement.”
His comments come after a joint statement from the United States, Qatar and Egypt saying they had presented a proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal that “narrows the gap” between Israel and Hamas.
Any sign of progress in the Qatar negotiations is seen as essential by governments desperate to prevent the war in Gaza from escalating into a full-blown regional conflict.
The mediators said that the last two days of ceasefire talks were “serious, constructive and conducted in a positive atmosphere.”
Technical teams are expected to continue working over the coming days on the details of implementing the proposed conditions before senior government officials meet again in Cairo, hoping to reach agreement on the conditions set in Doha.
Mr. Biden later said in a statement that he had spoken separately with the leaders of Qatar and Egypt, who had expressed “strong support” for the proposal.
He added that he was also sending Mr. Blinken back to the Middle East to “reaffirm my unwavering support for Israel’s security” and to “underscore that with the comprehensive ceasefire and hostage release agreement now in sight, no one in the region should take steps to undermine this process.”
Although the mediators’ statement is clearly a positive development, there is still a long way to go before a ceasefire is agreed.
Still, Mr Blinken told US reporters he had become more optimistic than ever about the possibility of a deal, but said if he revealed why, he would “disclose it”.
Asked when a possible ceasefire might begin, he said “that remains to be seen.”
This is not the first time the US president has said he believes an agreement is close, and not everyone shares his cautious optimism.
A senior Hamas official – who was not involved in the negotiations but was in contact with Qatari and Egyptian officials – told the BBC: “What the movement’s leadership has been briefed on today regarding the outcome of the Doha ceasefire meetings does not include a commitment to implement what was agreed on July 2.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it appreciated efforts to “dissuade Hamas from refusing a deal that would free the hostages.”
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage.
More than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
In November, Hamas agreed to release 105 hostages in exchange for a one-week ceasefire and the release of 240 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Israel says 111 hostages are still being held, 39 of whom are presumed dead.
ReutersThe first phase of the deal outlined by President Biden, based on the Israeli proposal of May 27, would include a “complete and total ceasefire” lasting six weeks, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza and the exchange of some of the hostages – including women, the elderly and the sick or wounded – for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
The second phase would involve the release of all remaining hostages and a “permanent cessation of hostilities.” The third would see the launch of a vast plan to rebuild Gaza and the return of the remains of the deceased hostages.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military operation in Gaza continues, with new evacuation orders issued for several blocs in northern Khan Younis and Deir Balah – further reducing the humanitarian zone.
Israel said the blocks had become dangerous for civilians “due to significant acts of terrorism” and rocket and mortar fire into Israel.
The UN refugee agency (UNRWA) said: “Once again, fear is spreading as families have nowhere to go. People remain trapped in an endless nightmare of death and destruction on a staggering scale.”
Making the need for a ceasefire agreement even more urgent today is the fact that the polio virus – which is transmitted through feces – is now circulating inside Israel’s designated humanitarian zone in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge from the fighting.
“Let us be clear: the ultimate vaccine against polio is peace and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
