US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized on Thursday that both Israel and Hamas need to come to an agreement on the remaining points to finalize a ceasefire in Gaza, according to a report from Reuters.
Speaking at a press briefing in Haiti, Blinken mentioned that while “nearly 90%” of the ceasefire deal has been settled, there are still significant gaps, particularly concerning the Philadelphi corridor. “I expect in the coming days, we will share with Israel, and they (Qatar and Egypt) will share with Hamas our thoughts, the three of us, on exactly how to resolve” these unresolved matters, Blinken said, as quoted by Reuters.
Earlier this week, The Washington Post revealed that the United States has been working with Egypt and Qatar to create a final “take it or leave it” offer. This proposal is anticipated to be put forward to the parties involved in the coming weeks, with the understanding that refusal could end the US-led negotiations. It is still unclear whether the recent discovery of six hostages will increase or decrease the likelihood of reaching an agreement soon.
The US has been advocating for a ceasefire and hostage release plan, first proposed by President Joe Biden in May, though Hamas has continually dismissed every proposal to date.
On Wednesday, Hamas issued a statement reiterating its rejection of new negotiations on a ceasefire and the release of hostages, attributing the breakdown of talks to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The statement from Hamas claimed that no additional ceasefire proposals for Gaza were necessary and urged pressure on Israel to agree to the US-proposed plan, which the group insists it has already accepted.
Hamas accused Netanyahu of deliberately obstructing an agreement by insisting that Israel retain control of the Philadelphi corridor in southern Gaza. The group’s remarks followed a press conference by Netanyahu, held in English on Wednesday evening, where he underscored the importance of Israel’s control over the Philadelphi corridor.
During Thursday’s briefing, Blinken also expressed optimism about securing a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia before President Joe Biden’s term concludes in January. “I think if we can get a ceasefire in Gaza, there remains an opportunity through the balance of this administration to move forward on normalization,” he said.
Before the Hamas attack on October 7 and the subsequent conflict in Gaza, Saudi Arabia and Israel seemed to be making progress towards normalizing relations.
Not long after the fighting broke out, sources informed Reuters that Saudi Arabia had placed its US-sponsored normalization plans with Israel on hold. The Saudi Foreign Minister later suggested that establishing formal relations with Israel would require not only a cessation of hostilities in Gaza but also the creation of a Palestinian state, a long-standing prerequisite for normalization according to Saudi officials.
{Matzav.com}