White House pushes new plan to break Gaza deadlock

WASHINGTON:

The White House is urgently preparing a new proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas, US government, Egyptian security sources and those familiar with the matter told Reuters. This proposal seeks to address key issues that have stalled the negotiations, brokered by the US, Qatar and Egypt, for months.

Most elements of the deal have already been agreed upon, according to a senior Biden administration official, but two key points of conflict remain. These include Israel’s request to maintain a military presence in the Philadelphia Corridor, a safe zone on the Gaza-Egypt border and the specific individuals to be included in a hostage-prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel.

Meanwhile, Hamas said on Thursday there was no need for new ceasefire proposals for Gaza and Israel should be pressured to agree to a US plan the Islamist group had already accepted.

In a statement, Hamas said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had tried to scuttle a deal by insisting Israel would not withdraw from the Philadelphia corridor in southern Gaza.

Negotiators fear the window for a ceasefire is closing, with one US official underscoring the growing urgency of reaching a deal. Although previous talks, including US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s recent visit to the region, have failed to yield results, working-level discussions are continuing.

Egyptian sources revealed that the US is shifting from an advisory role to promoting a ceasefire plan. However, US officials stressed that the new proposal would not be a take-it-or-leave-it offer and efforts to reach a truce would continue even if that plan fails.

Israeli presence on the runway

On Tuesday, five Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Authority, along with Egypt, rejected Israel’s request to keep troops in the Philadelphia corridor. Turkey reiterated this position the next day.

An earlier deal, accepted by both sides, required Israel to withdraw from the heavily populated Gaza Strip as part of the first phase of a ceasefire. However, the current debate revolves around whether the Philadelphia Corridor should be designated as such an area. US officials are considering which parts of the runway Israel could withdraw from and where its forces might remain.

During talks in Qatar on Monday, an Israeli delegation led by Mossad chief David Barnea indicated that Israel would withdraw from the corridor after the first phase of a 42-day ceasefire. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later insisted that Israel must maintain control of the corridor to prevent weapons being smuggled into Gaza by Hamas.

Netanyahu’s stance has put negotiators in a difficult position, with the official familiar with the matter saying Egypt and Hamas will not accept any deal if Israel maintains a presence in the Philadelphia corridor.

Reactions of Hamas and Egypt

Senior Hamas official Izzat Al Risheq said the group would consider any new proposal that meets the demands of Hamas and the Palestinian people. But Hamas also said no new proposals were needed, accusing Netanyahu of trying to undermine the negotiations.

Israel took control of the Philadelphia corridor in May, arguing that Hamas had used the area to transport weapons to Gaza. This Israeli advance also led to the closure of the Rafah crossing, severely limiting humanitarian aid to Gaza and halting most medical evacuations. Egypt, which has played a key role in facilitating access to Gaza, insists that smuggling tunnels in the corridor have been closed or destroyed and that the Palestinian presence in the Rafah crossing must be restored, as outlined in the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. .

The conflict and its toll

The conflict between Israel and Hamas, which began with a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 that killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of around 250 hostages, has escalated into a major humanitarian crisis. Israel’s retaliation resulted in the deaths of nearly 41,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and devastated the Gaza Strip, displacing much of its 2.3 million population.