Photo: A Palestinian boy sits at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
Ceasefire talks are set to resume in the Qatari capital Doha on Thursday.
The Israeli negotiation team will be headed by the Mossad chief – that’s Israel’s external security service, as well as the Shin Bet chief – the internal security agency. Now, the mandate has been discussed and agreed upon by Netanyahu and the mediators, according to anonymous officials speaking to Israeli media. They say that Netanyahu has softened his stance, though red lines and non-negotiables are still there.
Senior Hamas officials have told Al Jazeera they’re not interested in new negotiations and are only interested in discussing the framework that was already on the table and that was agreed upon by the group on July 2 after it was outlined by US President Joe Biden on May 31.
They want that as a guarantee.
Now the Israelis want a guarantee that says they can resume the war even if a pause in the fighting is secured.
They want that as a guarantee.
But all of this comes as the region is still facing a lot of tension. The Israelis are still bracing for a retaliatory attack by Iran, by Hezbollah, or even perhaps the Houthis in Yemen.
Earlier today, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Qatari counterparts saying that no country in the region should undermine these ceasefire talks and efforts. And that includes Israel. Additionally, the US has said that a ceasefire in Gaza – if obtained – could be the thing to calm regional tensions.
On the eve of ceasefire talks in Qatar, Hamas has again said that it wants Israel to stick to the original truce proposal which US President Joe Biden announced in July and which has been backed by the United Nations Security Council.
Osama Hamdan, a Hamas political official, told Al Jazeera:
“We expect to be told by the mediators that Israel has accepted what is being offered and any meeting should be based on talking about implementation mechanisms and setting deadlines rather than negotiating something new.
“Otherwise Hamas finds no reason to participate.”
As a reminder, Biden’s plan, which he said was proposed by Israel, included a temporary ceasefire until all Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza and the release of some captives.
In the second stage, Hamas and Israel would begin negotiations for a permanent end to hostilities. Reconstruction in the Gaza Strip and an end to the war are part of the third and last stage.
Israel, however, has since added new demands.
It wants to be allowed to resume fighting in Gaza after the temporary truce ends. It also wants to retain control of the Rafah border crossing and Philadelphi Corridor – the buffer zone between Egypt and Gaza which facilitates aid deliveries.
Trump Netanyahu
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday and discussed the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, Axios reported, citing two U.S. sources.
One source told Axios Trump’s call was intended to encourage Netanyahu to take the deal, but stressed he did not know if this is indeed what the former president told Netanyahu. The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Late last month, Netanyahu visited the U.S. and met President Joe Biden, Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and Republican former President Trump.
Biden laid out a three-phase ceasefire proposal in an address on May 31. Washington and regional mediators have since tried arranging the Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal but have run into repeated obstacles.
Washington, Israel’s most important ally, has said that a ceasefire in Gaza will reduce the rising threat of a wider war in the Middle East.
There has been an increased risk of a broader war after the recent killings of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyehin Iran and Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut. Both drew threats of retaliation against Israel.
Al Jazeera/ Reuters
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