U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that “a lot of work” remains to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas on terms for a new cease-fire and hostage-release deal after the militant group put forward conditions that run counter to Israel’s war goals.
Quick Read
- Cease-Fire Negotiation Challenges: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged significant efforts are still needed to reconcile differences between Israel and Hamas regarding a new cease-fire and hostage-release deal, despite Hamas presenting a detailed proposal.
- Hamas’ Proposal: Hamas proposed a three-phase plan over 4.5 months, demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners, including senior militants, in exchange for all hostages, which contrasts with Israel’s objective of diminishing Hamas’ power.
- Biden and Netanyahu’s Stance: President Joe Biden described Hamas’ demands as excessive, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who met with Blinken, insists on a victory over Hamas and the safe return of all hostages.
- Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: The ongoing conflict has led to over 27,000 Palestinian deaths, widespread displacement, and severe shortages of basic necessities in Gaza, exacerbating the humanitarian situation.
- Regional Tensions: Attacks by Iran-backed militant groups in solidarity with Palestinians have increased the risk of a broader conflict, with both U.S. and Israeli targets coming under fire.
- Hostage Situation: Hamas holds over 130 hostages, with a significant portion feared dead. The group’s plan includes phased releases of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a point of contention for Israel.
- Israeli Public Pressure: The Israeli public and families of the hostages are urgently calling for their release, adding domestic pressure on Netanyahu’s government, which faces threats from far-right coalition partners against making substantial concessions.
The Associated Press has the story:
Blinken says a lot of work remains on cease-fire and hostage talks
Newslooks- TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) —
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that “a lot of work” remains to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas on terms for a new cease-fire and hostage-release deal after the militant group put forward conditions that run counter to Israel’s war goals.
Hamas laid out a detailed three-phase plan to unfold over 4 1/2 months, responding to a proposal drawn up by the United States, Israel, Qatar and Egypt. The plan stipulates that all hostages would be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, including senior militants, and an end to the war.
Israel has made destroying Hamas’ governing and military abilities one of its wartime objectives, and the proposal would effectively leave Hamas in power in Gaza and allow it to rebuild its military capabilities. President Joe Biden said Hamas’ demands are “a little over the top” but that negotiations will continue. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Blinken, and the two discussed the latest efforts to free the hostages. Both men were scheduled to hold separate news conferences later Wednesday.
The deadliest round of fighting in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has killed over 27,000 Palestinians, leveled entire neighborhoods, driven the vast majority of Gaza’s population from their homes and pushed a quarter of the population to starvation.
Iran-backed militant groups across the region have conducted attacks, mostly on U.S. and Israeli targets, in solidarity with the Palestinians, drawing reprisals as the risk of a wider conflict grows.
Israel remains deeply shaken by Hamas’ Oct 7 attack, in which militants burst through the country’s vaunted defenses and rampaged across southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting some 250, around half of whom remain in captivity in Gaza.
Netanyahu says the war, now in its fifth month, will continue until “total victory” over Hamas and the return of all the remaining hostages.
Blinken, who is on his fifth visit to the region since the war broke out, is trying to advance the cease-fire talks while pushing for a larger postwar settlement in which Saudi Arabia would normalize relations with Israel in return for a “clear, credible, time-bound path to the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
But the increasingly unpopular Netanyahu is opposed to Palestinian statehood, and his hawkish governing coalition could collapse if he is seen as making too many concessions.
“There’s a lot of work to be done, but we are very much focused on doing that work,” Blinken told Israel’s ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog.
