Mediators for a truce in the Gaza Strip – the United States, Qatar and Egypt – announced this Friday (16) the end of “constructive” negotiations in Doha, Qatar, and stated that they will continue in Cairo the talks on a US proposal “that closes the gaps” between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas.
In a joint statement, the mediators described as “intense, serious and constructive” the talks with an Israeli negotiating delegation in Doha on Thursday and Friday. They said the negotiations “took place in a positive atmosphere.”
The note emphasizes that “the US today presented a proposal to both parties [Israel e Hamas]with the support of Qatar and Egypt, which reduces the gaps”, and assured that this offer “is consistent with the principles [da proposta] of US President Joe Biden”, announced on May 31.
According to the statement, this new US proposal “builds on the points of agreement reached and fills the remaining gaps in a way that allows for the rapid implementation of the agreement” on the Gaza ceasefire.
“The technical teams will continue to work in the coming days on the details, including preparations to implement the humanitarian details,” as well as “those related to the hostages [israelenses] and Palestinian prisoners.”
In this context, the note emphasizes that “senior government officials will meet again in Cairo before the end of next week, in the hope of reaching an agreement in line with the conditions proposed today.”
The mediators also recalled in the statement that “there is no more time to waste” and “there is no excuse for either party to justify further delays”.
Hamas, which has its political office in Doha, had said before the talks began in Qatar on Thursday that it would not participate in the meetings but was open to meeting mediators, especially Qatar and Egypt, if progress was made.
Israel and the Palestinian terror group say they accept Joe Biden’s proposal, although in recent weeks both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas spokesmen have accused each other of imposing amendments to the US president’s plan.
Hamas has repeatedly insisted that a ceasefire agreement include a definitive cessation of military operations and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, including the Rafah land crossing and the Philadelphia corridor, both on the Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt.
On Friday, the terrorist group expressed in a statement its dissatisfaction with what was discussed in the negotiations in Doha, saying that what it learned about them “does not include a commitment to what was agreed on July 2”, in reference to the original proposal presented by the United States.
For his part, Netanyahu demands, among other things, that an Israeli control mechanism be implemented in the Netzarim corridor – which has divided northern and southern Gaza since the beginning of the war – to ensure that fighters do not regroup in the north. In addition, he insists on the presence of the Israeli army in the Philadelphia corridor to prevent arms smuggling.
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