By Samy Magdy and Joseph Krauss | Related Press
Israel has accepted a brand new U.S. proposal for a brief ceasefire with Hamas, the White Home stated Thursday.
The contemporary indicators of progress in direction of a brief truce got here after U.S. President Donald Trump’s particular envoy, Steve Witkoff, expressed optimism earlier this week about brokering an settlement to halt the Israel-Hamas warfare and return extra of the hostages captured within the assault that ignited it.
White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt instructed reporters that Israel “backed and supported” the brand new proposal. She added that Hamas continues to judge the proposal.
Hamas has stated it had agreed with Witkoff on a “general framework” of an settlement that might result in an enduring ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, an inflow of assist, and a switch of energy from the militant group to a politically impartial committee of Palestinians.
Right here’s what’s identified in regards to the rising negotiations that intention to result in an prolonged truce within the warfare in change for hostages that stay in captivity:
What do Israel and Hamas need?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to finish the warfare till all of the hostages are launched and Hamas is both destroyed or disarmed and despatched into exile. He has stated Israel will management Gaza indefinitely and facilitate what he refers to because the voluntary emigration of a lot of its inhabitants.
Palestinians and many of the worldwide neighborhood have rejected plans to resettle Gaza’s inhabitants, a transfer consultants say would seemingly violate worldwide legislation.
Hamas has stated it can solely launch the remaining hostages — its solely bargaining chip — in return for extra Palestinian prisoners, an enduring ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. It has provided to surrender energy to a committee of politically impartial Palestinians that might oversee reconstruction.
Hamas remains to be holding 58 hostages. Round a 3rd are believed to be alive, although many concern they’re in grave hazard the longer the warfare goes on. 1000’s of Palestinians have been killed since Israel renewed its airstrikes and floor operations after ending a ceasefire in March.
The dispute over whether or not there needs to be a brief ceasefire to launch extra hostages — as Israel has referred to as for — or a everlasting one — as Hamas desires — has bedeviled talks brokered by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar for greater than a yr and a half, and there’s no indication it has been resolved.
What’s the newest ceasefire proposal?
Witkoff has not publicized his newest proposal, however a Hamas official and an Egyptian official independently confirmed a few of the particulars. They spoke on situation of anonymity to debate the delicate talks.
They are saying it requires a 60-day pause in combating, ensures of great negotiations resulting in a long-term truce and assurances that Israel is not going to resume hostilities after the discharge of hostages, because it did in March. Israeli forces would pull again to the positions they held throughout the ceasefire Israel ended that month.
Hamas would launch 10 residing hostages and quite a few our bodies throughout the 60-day pause in change for greater than 1,100 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, together with 100 serving lengthy sentences after being convicted of lethal assaults.
Every day, a whole lot of vans carrying meals and humanitarian assist could be allowed to enter Gaza, the place consultants say a virtually three-month Israeli blockade — barely eased in latest days — has pushed the inhabitants to the brink of famine.
Why is it so arduous to finish the warfare?
Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 folks, principally civilians, and abducting 251 hostages. Greater than half the hostages have been launched in ceasefires or different offers. Israel has rescued eight and recovered dozens of our bodies.
Israel’s ensuing army marketing campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, principally girls and kids, based on the Gaza Well being Ministry, which doesn’t say how lots of the lifeless had been civilians or combatants.
The offensive has destroyed huge areas of Gaza and displaced round 90% of its inhabitants of roughly 2 million Palestinians, with a whole lot of hundreds residing in squalid tent camps and unused faculties.
Hamas has been vastly depleted militarily and misplaced almost all of its prime leaders in Gaza. It more than likely fears that releasing all of the hostages with out securing a everlasting ceasefire would permit Israel to launch an much more devastating marketing campaign to in the end destroy the group.
Israel fears {that a} lasting ceasefire and withdrawal now would depart Hamas with vital affect in Gaza, even when it surrenders formal energy. With time, Hamas would possibly be capable of rebuild its army would possibly and finally launch extra Oct. 7-style assaults.
Netanyahu additionally faces political constraints: His far-right coalition companions have threatened to deliver down his authorities if he ends the warfare too quickly. That would depart him extra weak to prosecution on longstanding corruption fees and to investigations into the failures surrounding the Oct. 7 assault.
A broader decision to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian battle seems extra distant than ever.
The Palestinians are weak and divided, and Israel’s present authorities — probably the most nationalist and spiritual in its historical past — is against Palestinian calls for for a state in Gaza, the West Financial institution and east Jerusalem, territories Israel occupied within the 1967 Mideast warfare.
The final critical peace talks broke down greater than 15 years in the past.
Magdy reported from Cairo. AP author Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed reporting.
