U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken has been touring the Middle East and struggling to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, but appears to be unable to narrow the gap between Israel and Palestinian armed groups over the terms of the ceasefire.
The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 20th (local time) that the new ceasefire proposed by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar partially accepted Israel’s ceasefire conditions.
Four sources familiar with the ceasefire talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the new ceasefire would allow Israeli forces to continue patrolling parts of the border area, albeit with a reduced troop count. The US also asked that negotiations be postponed during ceasefire talks in Doha, Qatar, on June 15-16, over a requirement that Palestinian refugees returning to northern Gaza be checked for weapons.
Earlier, Israel reportedly added five new ceasefire conditions to mediators from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar on July 27. In particular, the Israeli military must maintain control of the Philadelphia Corridor, the border area between Gaza and Egypt, and the Israeli military must be able to inspect weapons when refugees from Gaza return after the war, conditions that Hamas strongly rejects.
A reporter for Axios also revealed on his social networking service (SNS) X (formerly Twitter) that Secretary Blinken, who met with Prime Minister Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on the 19th, was persuaded by the Prime Minister’s argument that control of the Philadelphia Corridor is necessary to prevent weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip through the Egyptian border.
On his way back home after visiting Israel, Egypt, and Qatar, Secretary of State Blinken said, “I heard directly from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would accept the United States’ ‘bridging proposal,’ and I hope Hamas will do the same,” and urged them again.
Although the specifics of the bridge proposal are unknown, it is likely to be a three-phase ceasefire proposal presented by US President Joe Biden on May 31 with additional ceasefire conditions proposed by Israel. The three-phase ceasefire proposal includes: △Israeli troops withdrawing from densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip, a six-week ceasefire, and an exchange of some Palestinian prisoners held by Hamas for hostages held by Israel (phase 1); △permanently extending the ceasefire to release all Hamas hostages, and Israeli troops withdrawing from Gaza (phase 2); and △rebuilding the ruined Gaza Strip and returning the remains of dead hostages to their families (phase 3).
Hamas wants a ceasefire, but says the latest US ceasefire proposal is a step back from what was agreed upon in early July, and that the US has caved to Israel’s new terms.
However, Secretary of State Blinken dismissed media reports that he had fallen for Netanyahu’s persuasion that the Israeli military would retain control of the Philadelphia Corridor after a ceasefire, saying that “the United States has been very clear that Israel’s long-term occupation of Gaza will not be tolerated,” and that in recent ceasefire talks “there was very clear agreement on a timeline and a location for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and Israel agrees to that.”
Further ceasefire talks are scheduled to take place in Cairo, Egypt, this week, but no specific date has been set and Hamas’s opposition to the new ceasefire makes it unlikely that an agreement will be reached.
(Seoul = News 1)
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2024-08-21 05:20:18