The US insists, regardless of proof on the contrary, that Netanyahu has agreed to a proposal to droop the struggle.
A Gaza ceasefire and hostage launch deal “now could be in sight”, the US envoy to the United Nations has informed the UN Safety Council (UNSC) as a brand new spherical of talks begins within the Egyptian capital.
Talking earlier than the council on Thursday, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield known as on Hamas to simply accept a “bridging proposal” put ahead by the US that seems to vary from a earlier proposal adopted by the UNSC and agreed to by the Palestinian group.
The proposal ostensibly goals to bridge unresolved disputes between Israel and Hamas to finish the violence in Gaza, the place Israeli forces have killed no less than 40,265 Palestinians, wounded greater than 93,000 others and created a humanitarian disaster since starting their offensive in October.
“Israel has accepted the bridging proposal. Now Hamas should do the identical,” she mentioned. “As members of this council, we should converse with one voice, and we should use our leverage to press Hamas to simply accept the bridging proposal.”
The remarks by Thomas-Greenfield continued a development of US officers claiming that Israel has agreed to a deal that Hamas has but to simply accept regardless of indications that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence on Israel retaining strips of territory inside Gaza is the first impediment to a deal.
We now have a path ahead to avoid wasting lives, carry reduction to Palestinians in Gaza, get the hostages again residence, and de-escalate regional tensions.
Israel has accepted the bridging proposal that the US, Qatar, and Egypt put ahead. Now, Hamas should do the identical. We want a…
— Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield (@USAmbUN) August 22, 2024
Hamas has accused Netanyahu of adopting positions supposed to sabotage progress in direction of an settlement to finish Israel’s almost 11-month struggle in Gaza.
In the meantime, a brand new spherical of Israel-Hamas negotiations, mediated by the US and Egypt, is below means in Cairo. A Qatari delegation is predicted to hitch the talks on Friday, the Reuters information company mentioned.
Netanyahu’s spokesman Omer Dostri mentioned an Israeli delegation, that features the heads of Israel’s Mossad spy company and Shin Wager safety service, was collaborating within the Cairo talks and “negotiating to advance a hostage [release] settlement”.
Greater than 200 folks had been taken hostage by Hamas when it attacked Israel on October 7.
In June, a ceasefire plan adopted by the UN Safety Council didn’t permit Israeli forces to take care of management of territory inside Gaza, such because the Philadelphi Hall alongside the border with Egypt and the Netzarim Hall, which bisects Gaza.
US President Joe Biden’s administration has nonetheless acknowledged that the “bridging proposal” is in line with the UN-backed deal. Hamas has accused the US of altering the contours of the earlier deal after Netanyahu refused to budge on a collection of points.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned this week that Netanyahu had agreed to the US-backed proposal that’s “clear” on the standing of Israeli pressure withdrawals, however Netanyahu additionally acknowledged this week that the 2 corridors will stay below Israeli management.
A report by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Wednesday quoted nameless Israeli officers who known as the US claims that Hamas is the first impediment to a deal a “reward” to Netanyahu and a possible “dying blow” to the negotiations.
The Biden administration has claimed for months {that a} ceasefire deal is at hand regardless of remaining disagreements between Hamas and the Netanyahu authorities, which has mentioned it would proceed the struggle till Hamas is destroyed even when a short lived ceasefire is reached.
The US has to date refused to contemplate pressuring Israel into better flexibility via leverage such because the suspension of arms gross sales.
