After Israel’s yes, Blinken asks Hamas to accept ceasefire deal

Tel Aviv, August 19

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that Israel had accepted a proposal to bridge differences holding up a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza, and he called on Hamas to do the same, without saying whether the latest draft had addressed concerns cited by the militant group.

The high-stakes negotiations have gained speed in recent days as diplomats hope an agreement will deter Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah from avenging the targeted killings of two top militants that were blamed on Israel. The escalating tensions have raised fears of an even more destructive regional war.

Blinken spoke after holding over tw-hour meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the day, and will travel to Egypt and Qatar for further negotiations. The three mediators have spent months trying to end the war in Gaza, with the talks repeatedly stalling. He said there are still “complex issues” requiring “hard decisions by the leaders”, without offering specifics. — AP

Gaza truce talks: The sticking points

END OF WAR

Hamas wants an agreement that will guarantee an end to the war in Gaza. Netanyahu has pledged “total victory” and wants the right to resume fighting in the Palestinian enclave until Hamas no longer poses any threat to Israelis.

GAZA-EGYPT BORDER

Hamas seeks a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, including the so-called Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow 14.5-km-long stretch of land along the coastal enclave’s southern border with Egypt.

RETURN OF DISPLACED

Israel wants displaced Palestinians to be screened as they return to the enclave’s more heavily populated north when the ceasefire begins, to make sure they are unarmed. Hamas demands free movement for Palestinians.

HOSTAGE RELEASE

The three-phased ceasefire plan includes the release of 33 hostages under a humanitarian category in the first stage. Netanyahu has said he wants to maximise the number of living captives that will be freed at this stage.