Neither side in the conflict has agreed to the terms of the new proposal, which includes steps that contradict the stated positions of Israel and Hamas.
People with knowledge of the talks said Israel and Hamas were at least ready to discuss again after weeks of stalemate following the end of the last ceasefire on Nov. 30. According to the interlocutors, negotiations will continue in Cairo in the coming days.
“The willingness of the two sides to discuss the framework was a positive step. The mediators are now working to bridge the gap,” said one of the interlocutors briefed on the progress of the talks.
The new proposal, backed by Washington, Cairo and Doha, represents a new approach to defusing the conflict – aiming to make the release of Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas part of a comprehensive deal that could lead to an end to the fighting.
Israel’s war with the Palestinian group Hamas
During the October 7 attack on Israel, Hamas militants killed 1,200 civilians and soldiers and kidnapped about 250 people. Subsequently, through a hostage exchange, the terrorists released about 120 hostages, and Israel released a group of Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named three conditions for ending the war against Palestinian Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
On January 13, Tel Aviv informed Cairo that it plans to launch a military operation to establish control over the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. At the same time, Egypt rejected Israel’s proposal for joint Israeli troops to patrol the Egyptian side of the border.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Israel to stop causing further harm to civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Read urgent and important messages about Russia’s war against Ukraine on the channel RBC-Ukraine on Telegram.
#Egypt #Qatar #propose #peace #plan #Middle #East #WSJ
2024-01-21 18:21:23
