Middle East crisis: Netanyahu pushes for unlimited military control of Gaza
Senior Israeli, Qatari, U.S. and Egyptian officials will meet in Paris on Friday to try to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, an Israeli official and a person speaking on record said the talks had been informed Thursday. .
The news came after President Biden’s Middle East envoy met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials in Israel as part of a series of efforts to negotiate the release of hostages held in Gaza and a lull in the fighting . About 100 hostages are still being held in Gaza, according to Israeli officials. At least 30 others are dead, officials believe.
The Mossad head, David Barnea; the CIA director, William Burns; the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani; and Abbas Kamel, the head of Egypt’s intelligence service, are among those expected to attend, said the Israeli official and the person briefed on the talks, both speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic developments.
Qatar and Egypt act as intermediaries between Israel and Hamas, not negotiating directly.
On Tuesday, Hamas said a delegation led by Ismail Haniyeh was in Cairo to discuss efforts to end the war with Egyptian officials. On Thursday, Hamas issued a statement saying that Mr. Haniyeh had met with the head of Egypt’s intelligence service and aides and had completed his visit. The statement said that among the topics covered by these talks were ending the war, the return of displaced persons to their homes, humanitarian aid, the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners and “what the occupation is planning in the Al-Aqsa mosque” during Ramadan.
Efforts to broker a ceasefire have become more urgent as the death toll from the four-month war in the Gaza Strip reaches nearly 30,000 Palestinians, according to health officials there, and as Israel’s plan to destroy Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah , to invade, is approaching 30,000 Palestinians. causes international alarm.
The talks appeared to have stalled last week after talks in Cairo failed to lead to a breakthrough. Mr Netanyahu withdrew his negotiators and accused Hamas of refusing to budge what he called “ridiculous” demands and vowed to continue Israel’s offensive.
But on Wednesday evening, Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet, said that had been the case momentum for a new design of a deal that signaled an “opportunity to move forward.”
And on Thursday, a White House official said that President Biden’s Middle East coordinator, Brett McGurk, had had “constructive” meetings with Mr. Netanyahu in Israel; Yoav Gallant, Israel’s Defense Minister; and other members of the Israeli war cabinet.
“The initial indications we’re getting from Brett is that these talks are going well,” said the official, John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council. He also said that Mr. McGurk had spent a “couple of good hours” with Mr. Netanyahu.
Mr. McGurk was focused on whether negotiators “could reach a hostage agreement for an extended pause to get all those hostages home where they belong and get a reduction in violence so we can get more humanitarian aid,” said Mr Kirby.
Mr. Gallant said after meeting with Mr. McGurk in Tel Aviv on Thursday that the Israeli government would “expand the authority given to our hostage negotiators.”
One person briefed on the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there were indications that both Hamas and Israel were willing to negotiate an interim deal under which 35 Israeli hostages, who are medically frail or elderly, could be exchanged for an indefinite period. number of Palestinian prisoners. .
Mr Kirby said Mr McGurk intended to pressure Israel’s war cabinet over its plans for its military operation in Rafah.
“Nothing has changed in our view that any operation in Rafah without due attention and a credible executive plan for the safety and security of the more than one million Palestinians seeking refuge in Rafah would be a disaster,” Mr. Kirby said . “We would not support that.”
Earlier this week the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that reportedly called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza because it feared it could disrupt hostage negotiations.
Israeli and US officials have argued that an immediate ceasefire would allow Hamas to regroup and strengthen itself in Gaza, and reduce pressure to reach a deal on the release of hostages held in the area are held.
The United States has drafted a rival resolution, still in the early stages of negotiations, calling for a temporary humanitarian ceasefire “as soon as practicable” and the release of hostages.
Adam Sella And Cassandra Vinograd reporting contributed.