Blinken, mediators from egypt and qatar pin hopes on US “bridging proposal”
DOHA: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded his whirlwind trip to the Middle East on Tuesday without securing a Gaza ceasefire deal. Despite intense efforts to broker an agreement, the conflict between Israel and Hamas remains unresolved. Blinken, alongside mediators from Egypt and Qatar, has pinned hopes on a US “bridging proposal” designed to narrow the gaps between the warring sides. Negotiations paused last week without a breakthrough. “The deal needs to get done, and it needs to get done in the days ahead, and we will do everything possible to get it across the finish line,” Blinken told reporters in Doha before departing for Washington.
A senior Biden administration official traveling with Blinken indicated that the US expects ceasefire talks to continue this week. Blinken’s trip included talks with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Qatari officials. After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, Blinken reported that Israel had accepted the proposal and urged Hamas to do the same. However, Hamas has not explicitly rejected the proposal, claiming it overturns previously agreed terms. When questioned in Qatar about Israeli troop withdrawal terms and a report suggesting Netanyahu might have persuaded Blinken to allow Israeli troops to remain in the Philadelphi Corridor, Blinken stated, “The United States does not accept any long-term occupation of Gaza by Israel.
” He clarified that the agreement includes specific terms for the schedule and locations of Israel Defense Forces withdrawals from Gaza. Blinken did not address the Axios report directly, and Netanyahu’s office did not respond to requests for comment. Both Hamas and Egypt oppose the idea of Israeli troops remaining in the Philadelphi Corridor, although Netanyahu insists they are necessary to prevent weapons smuggling into Gaza. A senior US official disputed the Axios report earlier on Tuesday. Egyptian security sources revealed that the US has proposed an international presence in the Philadelphi Corridor, which Cairo might accept if limited to a maximum of six months. President Sisi emphasized that a Gaza ceasefire should pave the way for broader international recognition of a Palestinian state and the implementation of a two-state solution, which he believes is essential for regional stability. The ongoing conflict in Gaza has resulted in over 40,000 deaths since October, according to Palestinian health authorities. The fate of hostages held in Gaza remains a critical issue. Blinken described the latest push for a ceasefire as “probably the best, possibly the last opportunity” and emphasized that Hamas must accept the bridging proposal.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri criticized Blinken’s comments, accusing him of perpetuating falsehoods that undermine efforts to reach an agreement. Qatar’s foreign minister assured Blinken of Qatar’s commitment to mediating the ceasefire talks, alongside Egypt and the US. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stressed the importance of consolidating regional and international efforts to achieve a ceasefire and a hostage-prisoner swap deal. US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel noted that negotiators believe the bridging proposal addresses the remaining gaps and allows for swift implementation. Details of the proposal and how it differs from previous versions have not been disclosed. Hamas accuses Israel of obstructing the agreement with new demands and remains committed to terms agreed with mediators in July based on a US proposal from May. Netanyahu denies obstructing the deal. The talks have repeatedly stalled over fundamental issues, with Israel demanding the destruction of Hamas as a precondition for ending the war,
while Hamas insists on a permanent ceasefire. The US official mentioned that even if Hamas agreed to the bridging proposal immediately, further discussions would be needed to finalize the deal’s implementation. On Tuesday, Israel’s military reported recovering the bodies of six hostages from southern Gaza. Israeli authorities now estimate that 109 hostages remain in Palestinian territory, with around a third believed to be dead. In Gaza, Israeli forces clashed with Hamas militants in central and southern areas, with Palestinian health authorities reporting at least 39 deaths from Israeli strikes, including on a school housing displaced persons. The Israeli military stated that it struck Hamas militants embedded in the school.
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