U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel, increasing diplomatic pressure in a last-ditch effort to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza. Additionally, he is pushing for an agreement to secure the release of hostages.
This week in Cairo, the lengthy negotiations facilitated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US are scheduled to continue after a two-day meeting in Doha last week that concentrated on bridging suggestions put out by Washington.
Israeli, Palestinian, and other sources familiar with the negotiations, along with public statements from Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, highlight ongoing significant differences. Therefore, substantial gaps still exist between Israel and Hamas.
END OF WAR
Hamas seeks a deal that will ensure that the Gaza War comes to a conclusion. Netanyahu demands the freedom to continue fighting in the Palestinian enclave until Hamas ceases to be a threat to Israelis, promising “total victory.”
GAZA-EGYPT BORDER
Hamas controls all of Gaza, including the Philadelphi Corridor. This narrow 14.5 km (nine mi) strip of land lies along the coastal enclave’s southern border with Egypt.
Israel has demolished numerous tunnels beneath the Philadelphi Corridor, which it claims were used to transfer weapons to Gaza’s terrorist organizations. Consequently, it wants to maintain control of the area. It took possession of the corridor in late May.
There seem to be disagreements on this issue among the Israeli leadership as well. Defense officials claim that the border can be remotely monitored, and soldiers can enter for raids if necessary. However, Netanyahu argues that only the presence of Israeli troops at the border will effectively stop the smuggling of weapons.
RETURN OF DISPLACED
When the ceasefire starts, Israel wants to make sure that displaced Palestinians returning to the more populated north of the enclave are checked to ensure they are unarmed. For those Palestinians who were forced to escape south and wish to go back home, Hamas demands freedom of movement.
RELEASE OF HOSTAGE
In the first step of the three-part ceasefire proposal, 33 hostages classified as humanitarians will be released, either alive or dead. According to Netanyahu, he wants to release as many prisoners as possible while they are still alive. There are still 115 hostages in all, including men, women, and children. At least one-third of the hostages have had their status changed from alive to dead by Israeli officials.
In exchange for the release of some Palestinian inmates, Israel also wants the ability to veto the identities of those prisoners.
BLAME
For months, Israel and Hamas have been blaming each other for the impasse in the negotiations. Netanyahu has brushed off criticism from both domestic and international sources. He added demands to the initial proposal regarding the Gaza-Egypt border and the screening of Palestinian refugees, which has fueled the criticism.
He disputes the idea of placing more restrictions on it. Instead, he claims that his requests are necessary security measures that align with the original plan and primarily outline its implementation.
According to Hamas, Washington’s latest ideas are too similar to those of Israel. According to Netanyahu, the primary barrier to a compromise has been Hamas’s stubbornness.
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