Blinken travels to key Gaza ceasefire mediator Qatar: Report
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is travelling today to Qatar for Gaza ceasefire talks after Hamas gave a reply to the US-led proposal.
Blinken, who is on a four-country visit to the Middle East, will meet top leaders in Qatar, the AFP news agency reports.
Responding to the Gaza ceasefire plan laid out by US President Joe Biden, Hamas proposed amendments late on Tuesday. The White House said it was “evaluating” the Hamas reply.
The AFP reports that US officials had privately expected Hamas to insist on at least some changes rather than accepting the entire ceasefire proposal immediately, and the US wants to see if there is enough common ground to hammer out differences with Israel.
Blinken’s ceasefire diplomacy ‘proving very difficult’
A ceasefire deal is on the table – but neither side has accepted it. Here’s what to know
A US-backed ceasefire plan has been approved by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), but whether it will be implemented remains unclear. Let us break it down for you.
What is the deal?
The plan was first set out by US President Joe Biden, who said it was an Israeli proposal. It has three phases:
- Phase 1 envisages an initial ceasefire with the release of hostages including women, the elderly and the wounded, the return of the remains of some hostages who have been killed, withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas in Gaza, the return of Palestinian civilians to their homes in Gaza, as well as the safe and effective distribution of aid throughout Gaza.
- Phase 2: With the agreement of the parties, there would next be a permanent end to hostilities, in exchange for the release of all other hostages still in Gaza, and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza; and
- Phase 3: the start of a major multi-year reconstruction plan for Gaza and the return of the remains of any deceased hostages still in Gaza to their families.
What are Israel and Hamas saying?
Both sides have signaled a willingness to accept the plan but neither has yet fully endorsed it. Hamas and Israel both said that what Biden said in his speech is not representative of what’s in the actual proposal.
On Tuesday, Israel gave its strongest signal yet it was ready to accept the plan, saying the proposal would enable it to achieve its war goals including “destroying Hamas’s military and governing capabilities”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously said that the possibility of a permanent ceasefire without the destruction of Hamas was a “non-starter”. Far-right members of his governing coalition have threatened to withdraw and collapse his administration if he accepts the proposal.
Hamas on Tuesday submitted its response to the deal, proposing amendments including a timeline for a permanent ceasefire and complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. An Israeli official characterized Hamas’s proposed amendments as a rejection of the proposal but Hamas said Wednesday it has neither accepted nor rejected the deal.
What next?
Talks will continue via the Qatari and Egyptian mediators in coordination with the United States to see if an agreement can be reached, a source with knowledge of the talks told CNN.
Qatari mediators hoping Blinken will come to Doha with guarantees
As momentum appears to build towards a Gaza ceasefire deal, major sticking points remain, notably on the terms of a permanent ceasefire, which Hamas considers mandatory, according to Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid from Doha.
Qatari mediators hope that Blinken, due to arrive in Doha today, would bring guarantees they could relay to Hamas on this point, said Javaid.
However, he added, it would be a difficult task because Israel continues to insist it would not stop the war without destroying Hamas, raising questions about the prospects of such a ceasefire.
“You have two sides on their maximalist positions. They have dug their heels in,” Javaid said. “The Israeli prime minister has said … he will wipe out Hamas, politically, militarily and from any presence in the Gaza Strip. Whereas with this negotiation, he actually has to accept that Hamas is still an entity on the ground, and he has to deal with it.”
Nevertheless, mediators believe they have found some leeway within both Israel and Hamas’s parameters and “are hopeful that things are going to move forward”, added Javaid.
