- Written by Anna Foster & Andre Roden-Paul
- Jerusalem and London
Efforts to reach an agreement for a ceasefire and the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip are intensifying, with talks resuming in Cairo on Saturday.
Hamas said its delegation was traveling in a “positive spirit” after considering the latest ceasefire proposal.
“We are determined to secure an agreement that meets the demands of the Palestinian people.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said “it should be easy for the insurgents to agree to a ceasefire.”
Hamas negotiators returned to the Egyptian capital to resume long-term negotiations brokered by Egypt and Qatar to suspend Israeli attacks on Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages.
In a statement issued last night, Hamas said it wanted the agreement to “mature” on the table, suggesting there are areas where both sides still disagree.
The main issue appears to be related to whether the ceasefire agreement will be permanent or temporary.
Hamas insists any deal would be a concrete commitment to end the war, but Israel is reluctant to agree as long as the group continues to operate in Gaza. The terms being discussed are believed to include a 40-day cessation of fighting until hostages are freed, and the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly insisted that even if a deal is agreed, a new ground operation would take place in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Israeli media reported on Saturday that his position remained unchanged despite the latest talks.
But the United States, Israel's biggest diplomatic and military ally, is reluctant to support a new attack that could cause heavy civilian casualties and is first considering plans to protect the displaced. I am insisting that you do so. An estimated 1.4 million people have taken refuge in Rafah, fleeing fighting in the northern and central parts of the region.
Minister Benny Gantz, a member of Israel's war cabinet, addressed the possibility of a ceasefire on Saturday, saying: “We have not yet received an official response to the brief. If accepted, the war management cabinet will meet to discuss it. Until then.'' , suggests “political sources” and all decision makers to wait for official updates, remain calm and not descend into politically motivated hysteria. ”
Williams Burns, the director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), traveled to Cairo to help broker the latest talks, according to two US officials who spoke to the BBC's US news partner CBS News.
Mr. Blinken, also a key figure in the negotiations, traveled to Israel again this week to meet with Mr. Netanyahu. Speaking in Arizona on Friday, Blinken said, “Hamas is the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire.”
So far, ceasefire negotiations have been going on for months with no breakthrough in sight. There has been no cessation of fighting or release of hostages since late November. During that time, a new deal seemed imminent, but there were moments when the deal fell apart before it could be signed.
We need to be careful in this discussion as well. Sources familiar with the negotiations told the BBC that negotiations remained complex and a resolution could still take several days.
One official told the Washington Post that the United States has urged Qatar to expel Hamas' political leadership if it continues to refuse a ceasefire.
The war began after Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups attacked villages and military bases in southern Israel, killing at least 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages.
During the ensuing Israeli military operation in Gaza, 34,654 Palestinians were killed and 77,908 injured, according to statistics from the Hamas-run Health Ministry.