For the first time in more than a year, Israelis and Palestinians signaled new efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement.
The pact also seeks to halt the fighting in Gaza and return to Israel some of the 100 hostages still being held in Palestinian territory.
The cautious optimism comes as Jake Sullivan, national security advisor to US President Joe Biden, holds talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this Thursday (12), before proceeding to the Egypt and Qatar, co-mediators of the agreement.
A Western diplomat in the region explained that an Israeli agreement with the Palestinian militant group Hamas was taking shape, but would likely be limited in its resolution, involving the release of just a few hostages and a brief pause in hostilities.
A senior Hamas official, Basem Naim, said American officials would have to apply “real pressure” to get Netanyahu to accept the July 2 truce proposal and the UN resolution, which Hamas says it has accepted on its own.
The pause in the conflict would be the second attempt since the war began in October 2023. The new peace deal would also allow for the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Mediation for truce
To discuss a ceasefire agreement and hostage release, the head of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, David Barnea, met with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, on Wednesday (11), said a source.
Israel Katz, Israeli Defense Minister, expressed by telephone to his colleague Lloyd Austin that there was now a chance of a deal that would allow the return of all hostages, including seven American citizens, Katz’s office said.
As long as both sides maintain demands that undermine negotiations, any proposal for a truce will remain unlikely.
Hamas wants the war to end before all the hostages are released, while Israel claims the war will not end until the hostages return and Hamas no longer governs Gaza, i.e. a threat to Israelis.
“From the first day of negotiations, our decision was clear: the end of the war against our people and the exchange of prisoners. For this to happen, we show all the necessary flexibility and positivity and the mediators are our witnesses to this”, exclaimed Naim to Reuters.
Understand the conflict in the Gaza Strip
Israel has carried out intense airstrikes in the Gaza Strip since last year, after Hamas invaded the country and killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli counts. Furthermore, the radical group holds dozens of hostages.
Hamas does not recognize Israel as a state and claims Israeli territory for Palestine.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly promised to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities and recover people detained in Gaza.
In addition to the air offensive, the Israeli Army carries out land incursions into Palestinian territory. This caused much of Gaza’s population to be displaced.
The UN and several humanitarian institutions have warned of a catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, with a lack of food, medicine and the spread of diseases.
The Israeli population is constantly protesting against Netanyahu, accusing the prime minister of failing to reach a ceasefire agreement so that the hostages can be released.
This content was originally published in Israel and Palestinians talk about ceasefire in Gaza with the US on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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