On Sunday (August 18), US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel to promote a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, as part of Washington’s intensified diplomatic efforts.
The US, Egypt, and Qatar mediators held a two-day negotiation in Doha to seek a hostage swap ceasefire agreement. It is anticipated that next week, the parties will continue negotiations on how to implement the agreement. Subsequently, senior officials will convene in Cairo in hopes of reaching an agreement later in the week in Cairo.
Blinken is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other leaders. Since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict in October last year, Blinken has visited the Middle East at least nine times. A few days ago, the United States proposed some reconciliatory suggestions, which the US and the mediating countries, Qatar, and Egypt believe will bridge the gap between the warring parties.
US officials expressed optimism regarding reaching an agreement between Israel and Hamas following the new proposal but also cautioned that there is still work to be done.
A senior official from the Biden administration told reporters on Friday (August 16), “What we are doing is to eliminate the existing differences and to push towards bridging these differences in a way that we believe is fundamentally feasible.”
Mediators indicated that negotiations have made progress. US President Biden said at the White House on Friday, “We are closer than ever (to reaching an agreement).”
The foreign ministers of the UK, France, Germany, and Italy issued a joint statement in support of the ongoing ceasefire negotiations, urging all parties to avoid any actions that might escalate the situation.
The Office of the Israeli Prime Minister stated last Saturday that the Israeli team is cautiously optimistic about the possibility of reaching an agreement.
Netanyahu emphasized, “What I want to emphasize is that we are negotiating, not simply giving in. There are things we can handle flexibly… but there are things we cannot handle flexibly, and we will stand firm.”
“Strong military and diplomatic pressure is the way to ensure the release of hostages,” he said.
In a statement released by the office of Netanyahu after the cabinet meeting, Israel reaffirmed its commitment to the principles established for its security in the proposal outline of May 27.
Hamas political bureau member Sami Abu Zuhri told Agence France-Presse, “Saying that we are about to reach an agreement is just a fantasy.”
(This article references a report from Reuters.)