Hamas appears unlikely to accept the latest U. S. backed plan for a , ceasefire , to stop the more-than 10-month issue in the Gaza Strip.
Next week, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar facilitated a dialogue between Israel and Hamas regarding agreement terms in Doha, Qatar. Hassopps ‘ refusal to participate in the Doha talks raises doubts that the Israeli side is abiding even further from the ceasefire conditions that Israel established in May.
President Joe Biden had said, in a May 31 , conversation, that the ceasefire model may follow a three-phase strategy, whereby both sides would change victims, and Israeli troops would withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
Following the Doha speaks, the U. S., Egyptian, and Qatari brokers issued a , combined statement , insisting they had put forward a plan to address any ultimate putting points on the peace deal. The three middlemen agreed to re-rejoice in Cairo, Egypt, in order to close the deal. Hamas does n’t appear to be influenced by the most recent plan, though.
” After listening to the negotiators about what happened in the last round of talks in Doha, we were once again assured that]Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] is also putting obstacles in the way of reaching an agreement, and is setting new circumstances and needs, with the aim of thwarting the negotiators ‘ work and prolonging the war”, Hamas said in an Aug. 18 press , statement.
The intermediaries have so far provided few details about their bridging proposal and what issues they believed it would resolve.
Israeli officials have indicated that they could keep control of the Philadelphi Corridor, a stretch of road that runs through the entire territory, despite Hamas ‘ demands for a total Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. A controlling the corridor would undoubtedly necessitate an Israeli presence within at least a portion of the Gaza Strip.
A senior Biden administration official previewed the Doha bridging proposal on Friday, during an officially-organized background , press call , Friday. However, the official did n’t directly comment on what would happen to the Philadelphia Corridor in the course of the ceasefire agreement.
” On the Philadelphi Corridor, we’ve been working very closely with Egypt and others—and also, of course, Egypt through mediation with Hamas—about the arrangements in the Philadelphi Corridor”, the Biden administration official said. ” I think that issue is moving the right way and, I think, very consistent with the May 27th text”.
According to Hamas officials, the Doha bridging proposal appears to give Israel control over the Netzarim Corridor and the Philadelphi Corridor, which divides the Gaza Strip’s top third.
In response to the Hamas attack on October 7 inside southern Israel, Netanyahu has insisted Israel would outright defeat and destroy Hamas throughout the conflict. Negotiators in the past have resisted accepting their defeat and ouster as prerequisites for eventual peace.
” The new proposal responds to Netanyahu’s conditions and aligns with them, especially his rejection of a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and his insistence on continuing to occupy the Netzarim Junction, the Rafah Crossing, and the Philadelphi Corridor”, Hamas said. He also amended the prisoner exchange file’s terms and resisted other changes, which would prevent the exchange deal from being done.
Hamas insisted that they would continue to press for an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and a full ceasefire.
This article was originally , published , by , FreeBase News , and is reprinted with permission.
