Gaza Truce: Cairo Rushes to Finalize Agreement to Suspend Rafah Offensive

Cairo is racing against time to complete a “peace” deal in Gaza between Tel Aviv and the Hamas movement, during which prisoners from both sides will be exchanged, which could lead to a “suspension” of Israeli military operations on a large scale in the Palestinian city of Rafah, the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip on the Egyptian border.

While everyone is waiting for the Hamas movement’s response to the “truce” proposal, US President Joe Biden, on Monday night, asked the leaders of Egypt and Qatar to pressure Hamas to accept to the agreement, which Washington considers “generous.” “

The Hamas movement left Cairo on Monday night, according to Egypt’s Cairo News Channel, which said that “the delegation will return with a written response to a proposal for a cease-fire” in Gaza. “A source in the movement said: “We are concerned to respond as quickly as possible,” according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.

A Hamas delegation held extensive talks with Egyptian security officials on Monday, who addressed a new proposal put forward by Cairo, and discussed it with Israeli officials when an Egyptian security delegation visited Tel Aviv last Friday. The proposal calls for “between 20 and 40 Israeli detainees to be released, in exchange for a day or so of truce for each detainee released,” according to the release. reported by Israeli media.

An Egyptian source familiar with the progress of the talks confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that “the problems regarding the military agreement are decreasing, and there are no major problems in the details of the Egyptian proposals.” He said, “The problems now relate to the will of both parties and their desire to complete the agreement, and not to the nature of the proposals.”

US President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (archive – Biden account on platform “X”)

Since last January, mediators in Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have been trying to find a truce in Gaza, but the marathon rounds of negotiations have not led to an agreement as a result of Israel and Hamas followed through on their demands.

But it seems that “things are going more positive,” this time, as the Arab World News Agency quoted a source familiar with the talks on Monday, saying that “a deal is imminent, and it can be reached within a few days if there are problems. resolved quickly.” Which hinders implementation.

He said: “Both parties accept Egypt’s proposal, but the problem is related to the number of detainees held by the Hamas movement of the age group and the type of work that must be released within the proposal.

The American newspaper New York Times quoted three Israeli officials as saying, on Monday, “Israel’s negotiating team reduced the number of detainees who were supposed to be released in the first phase of the agreement to 33 instead of 40 .” a glimmer of hope that could bring an agreement closer to reaching an agreement.” »

On Monday, in Riyadh, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken expressed his “hope” to receive a “positive” response from Hamas, a proposal he described as “very generous.”

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden asked the leaders of Qatar and Egypt to “do everything in their power” to release several detainees, repeating during two phone calls with the leaders of the two countries Monday night that “this is the only obstacle to an immediate ceasefire.” According to a statement from the White House.

Blinken lands at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Tuesday (AFP)

The White House said Biden affirmed that the United States will work with Egypt and Qatar to ensure that the terms of the proposed agreement on Gaza are fully implemented.

The Egyptian presidency explained that the telephone conversations between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and his American counterpart “discussed the latest developments regarding the ongoing talks and Egyptian efforts to reach calm in the Gaza Strip, a ceasefire, and an exchange of enemies. “

The presidency of Egypt, in an official statement, said that “the two presidents stressed during the call the danger of military escalation in the Palestinian city of Rafah, as it would add catastrophic dimensions to the a worsening humanitarian crisis in the Strip, as well. the impact it will have on the security and stability of the region.”

While the Amiri Diwan said that the discussions of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, with Biden, “touched on developments in the situation in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, and the efforts of both country to arrive. an immediate and permanent ceasefire agreement in Gaza.”

Check out 48 hours

The former Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister, Ambassador Hussein Haridi, confirmed that “everyone is waiting for what will happen in the next 48 hours, and the response that the leader of the Hamas movement, Yahya Sinwar, in regards to the (truce) proposal.” He told Asharq Al-Awsat, “Al-Sinwar is fully aware that the detainees are his only pressure card, and if he does not use them properly, he and the Hamas movement will be destroyed.”

He said, “The mediators in Egypt, the United States and Qatar are trying to find a link between an interim truce agreement and a permanent ceasefire agreement, hoping that the level of the session will lead to a discussion about the time after that.

Haridi pointed out that “although Israel proposes a temporary truce for one year, the Arab countries want an agreement that leads to a move to establish a Palestinian state, but it is not yet certain whether it is possible to move towards a state that set up during peacetime. time.”

Since the beginning of the war, a truce was reached for a week at the end of November, which allowed about 80 prisoners held by Hamas to be released in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

In conjunction with the talks, Israel continues to threaten to attack the city of Rafah, despite international and regional warnings on Tuesday, Israeli website Ynet quoted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying that “the process of evacuating civilians from Rafah in southern Gaza. A struggle has begun, in preparation for launching an attack.”

Netanyahu, in statements during his meeting with several families of detainees, published by the Israeli newspaper “Haaretz,” confirmed that “the Israeli army is determined to enter Rafah, whether to reach an agreement with (Hamas) or not.” He stressed that ending the war before achieving all of Israel’s goals is “unacceptable.”

The Egyptian source familiar with the progress of the talks explained to Asharq Al-Awsat that “Israel is afraid of the collapse of the government if peace is reached, so the extreme right is trying to convince partners that the Rafah operation is inevitable coming, and that there is no lasting peace.”

On the other hand, “Hamas wants to achieve some kind of victory,” according to the source, who added that “Hamas wants to get commitments for a permanent cessation of hostilities, especially since it is aware that Netanyahu intends to resume fighting after the break.”

A view of Palestinian prisoners who were released from Israel’s Ofer military prison after a prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel, November 24 last year (Reuters)

Last Saturday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said, “If there is an agreement (truce), we will stop the work in Rafah.” The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said on Tuesday, “In the next 48 to 72 hours, a decision will be made that will mark the end of the war in the Gaza Strip.” A hostile agreement with Hamas or the arrival of the Israeli army in Rafah.”

For his part, the former Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister said, “The time factor puts pressure on Washington and Tel Aviv, who are looking for an interim agreement that does not conflict with the main goals Israel to eliminate the Hamas movement.

Haridi said, “The Rafah operation is being used as a card in the negotiations, because Israel is threatening to implement it if the agreement is not completed,” noting that “Washington is trying to make major changes cancel it and incorporate it into Israel’s tactics so that there will be no great loss of life if the attack is carried out.”

He said, “Arab countries have always warned against this process because it will complicate things and lead to an increase in the situation in the region. ” Haridi continued: “Israel is now able to suspend the operation if the truce is achieved, but this will not stop it from achieving its goal, which is to eliminate (Hamas), ” asking about “Netanyahu’s ability, due to internal. political considerations, to cancel this operation.”