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The USA is pushing hard for a settlement of the Gaza war. And is holding its ally Israel accountable. Now the ball is in the Islamists’ court of Hamas. The news at a glance.
Washington/Tel Aviv – The US is maintaining pressure on its ally Israel after an offer to negotiate a settlement of the Gaza war. “We have every expectation that Israel would say yes if Hamas agrees to the proposal that was sent to them as an Israeli proposal,” National Security Council Communications Director John Kirby told ABC News.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also indirectly took Israel to task. In a conversation with Israeli Defense Minister Joav Galant, Blinken praised Israel’s willingness to conclude an agreement, his spokesman said.
US President Biden surprisingly presented details of a draft Gaza deal to which Israel had agreed. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to clarify that his country’s conditions for an end to the war had not changed: the destruction of the Islamist Hamas and the release of all hostages.
Israel’s war cabinet discusses negotiation offer
US officials were encouraged that Netanyahu did not reject Biden’s speech or deny that it reflected an Israeli proposal made to Hamas a few days ago, reported the US news portal Axios. According to the report, the White House had informed Netanyahu’s office about two hours in advance that Biden would make details of the offer public in the speech.
Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition partners promptly threatened to collapse the coalition if Israel agreed to the deal. Opposition leader Yair Lapid warned on Platform X that if Israel were to withdraw the offer it had already accepted, it would be a “death sentence” for the hostages and a crisis of confidence in the Americans and the mediating countries. Against the backdrop of this confusion, Israel’s war cabinet met to discuss the proposal made public by Biden.
Israel reserves the right to continue fighting
Netanyahu’s advisers stressed to Axios that Israel reserves the right to resume fighting at any time if Hamas violates its obligations under the three-stage agreement. Kirby made it clear that if an agreement is reached, the first phase will begin. “That means some hostages will be released (…), there will be some calm, there will be more humanitarian aid, perhaps up to 600 trucks, and then the two sides can start talking about the second phase.”
This phase envisages a permanent halt to fighting and the release of the remaining hostages. If Israel gets the impression that Hamas is only using the further talks to buy time, Israel could resume fighting, stressed one of the advisers to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, according to “Axios”.
It is now Hamas’s duty to accept the offer, said US Secretary of State Blinken in a conversation with Israel’s Defense Minister Galant. According to his spokesman, Blinken stressed that the proposal would benefit Israel’s long-term security interests. In a third phase, according to the offer, reconstruction of the Gaza Strip would begin.
Reports of deadly air strike in Syria
Meanwhile, Syrian state media reported several deaths and damage in a suspected Israeli attack in the northwest of the country. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in Britain, reported that rockets had hit positions belonging to a pro-Iranian militia north of Aleppo. Twelve militiamen were reportedly killed. The information could not be independently verified at first. There was initially no comment from the Israeli side.
Israel’s air force repeatedly bombs targets in neighboring Syria. The Jewish state wants to use the attacks to prevent its arch-enemy Iran and its allied militias from expanding their military influence in the country. Iran is one of Syria’s most important allies. Since the war in the Gaza Strip began around eight months ago, Israeli attacks, which are usually not officially confirmed by Israel, have increased.
Tug of war over reopening of Rafah border crossing
Meanwhile, the US is trying to reopen the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza for humanitarian aid. To this end, representatives from Egypt, the US and Israel met in Cairo for consultations. However, little progress has been made, reported the Wall Street Journal.
The talks are expected to continue in the coming days. The Egyptian state-run TV station Al-Kahira News had previously reported that Egypt’s position was still that Rafah would not be reopened until the Israeli military had completely withdrawn from there.
Meanwhile, according to the Times of Israel, Israeli Defense Minister Galant said during a visit to troops that they were working to create an alternative to Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip. To this end, they wanted to isolate areas in Gaza and, once Hamas had been removed, bring in “other forces” so that they could administer these areas in the future. The war would only end when Hamas had been defeated.
Galant recently said that the Netanyahu government lacks a plan for who should govern the Gaza Strip after the war. Hamas can only be permanently ousted from power if Palestinian representatives take control, accompanied by international actors who would create a government alternative to Hamas rule. dpa
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