Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

West Bank Town Becomes ‘Big Prison’ as Israel Fences It In

4 days ago

Trump Says He’s Willing to Let Migrant Farm Laborers Stay in US

4 days ago

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

5 days ago

Eyeing Arctic Dominance, Trump Bill Earmarks $8.6 Billion for US Coast Guard Icebreakers

5 days ago

Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Wins Congressional Approval

5 days ago

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

5 days ago

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

5 days ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

5 days ago

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

5 days ago
Key Mediator Egypt Expresses Skepticism of Gaza Cease-Fire Proposal as More Details Emerge
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 11 months ago on
August 21, 2024

Egypt voices doubts over Gaza cease-fire proposal as negotiations set to resume in Cairo amid growing regional tensions. (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

CAIRO — Key mediator Egypt expressed skepticism Wednesday as more details emerged of the proposal meant to bridge gaps in cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas, a day before negotiations were expected to resume in Cairo.

The challenges around the so-called bridging proposal appear to undermine the optimism for an imminent agreement that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken carried into his latest Mideast visit this week. Diplomatic efforts had redoubled as fears grow of a wider regional war after the recent targeted killings of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, both blamed on Israel, and threats of retaliation.

Egypt’s Concerns Over Hamas’ Acceptance

Officials in Egypt, in its unique role as both a mediator and affected party since it borders Gaza, told The Associated Press that the Hamas militant group will not agree to the bridging proposal for a number of reasons — ones in addition to the long-held wariness over whether a deal would truly remove Israel forces from Gaza and end the war.

One Egyptian official, with direct knowledge of the negotiations, said the bridging proposal requires the implementation of the deal’s first phase, which has Hamas releasing the most vulnerable civilian hostages captured in its Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war. Parties during the first phase would negotiate the second and third phases with no “guarantees” to Hamas from Israel or mediators.

“The Americans are offering promises, not guarantees,” the official said. “Hamas won’t accept this, because it virtually means Hamas will release the civilian hostages in return for a six-week pause of fighting with no guarantees for a negotiated permanent cease-fire.”

He also said the proposal doesn’t clearly say Israel will withdraw its forces from two strategic corridors in Gaza, the Philadelphi corridor alongside Egypt and the Netzarim corridor east to west across the territory. Israel offers to downsize its forces in the Philadelphi corridor, with “promises” to withdraw from the area, he said.

“This is not acceptable for us and of course for Hamas,” the Egyptian official said.

Challenges in Reaching a Breakthrough

A second Egyptian official, briefed on the latest developments in negotiations, said there were few chances for a breakthrough since Israel refuses to commit to a complete withdrawal from Gaza in the deal’s second phase. The official said Israel also insists on keeping its forces in the Philadelphi corridor and having full control of the Netzarim corridor.

He also said Egypt told the U.S. and Israel it won’t reopen the Rafah crossing into Gaza, which borders Egypt and is a crucial entry point for humanitarian aid, without the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian side and from the Philadelphi corridor.

Both Egyptian officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations.

Mediators are scheduled to meet Thursday and Friday in Cairo for more talks on the proposal before submitting it officially to Hamas.

Hamas’ Perspective on the Proposal

Hamas political official Bassem Naim said Tuesday the bridging proposal adopted several new demands from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including that Israeli forces remain in Rafah, Philadelphi and Netzarim and searches of displaced Palestinians returning to northern Gaza. Israel has said the searches are necessary to find militants.

Naim said the proposal also includes unspecified changes to the exchange of hostages held in Gaza for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel and doesn’t guarantee that a cease-fire would remain in place during negotiations on the transition from the deal’s first phase to the second.

In previous versions of the cease-fire plan, the second phase would entail a permanent cease-fire, full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of remaining male hostages, both civilians and soldiers

Blinken after his meetings in Egypt and in fellow mediator Qatar told journalists that the bridging proposal is “very clear on the schedule and the locations of (Israeli military) withdrawals from Gaza,” but no details on either have emerged.

Blinken also said that because Israel has accepted the proposal, the focus turns to doing everything possible to “get Hamas on board.” Egypt’s state-run Al-Ahram daily reported that Blinken received a “clear Egyptian demand for the U.S. to work towards a well-framed deal with clear deadlines and clear objectives to encourage Hamas to sign the deal.”

But there is skepticism, along with fatigue, among many in Israel about Netanyahu’s commitment to securing a cease-fire deal. “As long as the entire group of professional negotiators believes that Netanyahu is scuttling a deal, there won’t be any confidence,” commentator Nadav Eyal wrote in the daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. “And, in the absence of confidence, Israeli society will remain torn and shattered.”

The war in Gaza, now in its 10th month, has caused widespread destruction and forced the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents to flee their homes, often multiple times. Aid groups fear the outbreak of polio and other diseases.

The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and other militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Over 100 hostages were released during last year’s cease-fire in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. Hamas is still believed to be holding around 110 hostages, though Israeli authorities estimate around a third are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Netanyahu Nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

DON'T MISS

Netanyahu Meets Trump at White House as Israel, Hamas Discuss Ceasefire

DON'T MISS

Trump Executive Order Seeks End to Wind and Solar Energy Subsidies

DON'T MISS

US Threatens California With Legal Action Over Transgender Sports Law

DON'T MISS

US Veterans Affairs Will Cut Nearly 30,000 Jobs, Far Fewer Than Planned

DON'T MISS

Houston Astros Donate $1M to Help Recovery From Texas Floods

DON'T MISS

Tucker Carlson Aired Interview With President of Iran

DON'T MISS

California Fails to Stop 23andMe Founder From Re-Acquiring Company

DON'T MISS

Madera County Multi-Agency Effort Leads to Arrest of Felony Suspect in Atwater

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest DUI Driver During Crackdown on Illegal Street Racing and Sideshows

UP NEXT

Netanyahu Meets Trump at White House as Israel, Hamas Discuss Ceasefire

UP NEXT

Trump Executive Order Seeks End to Wind and Solar Energy Subsidies

UP NEXT

US Threatens California With Legal Action Over Transgender Sports Law

UP NEXT

US Veterans Affairs Will Cut Nearly 30,000 Jobs, Far Fewer Than Planned

UP NEXT

Houston Astros Donate $1M to Help Recovery From Texas Floods

UP NEXT

Tucker Carlson Aired Interview With President of Iran

UP NEXT

California Fails to Stop 23andMe Founder From Re-Acquiring Company

UP NEXT

Madera County Multi-Agency Effort Leads to Arrest of Felony Suspect in Atwater

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Arrest DUI Driver During Crackdown on Illegal Street Racing and Sideshows

UP NEXT

July 4 Weekend Was No Picnic for Fresno-Area Firefighters. How Bad Did It Get?

US Threatens California With Legal Action Over Transgender Sports Law

10 hours ago

US Veterans Affairs Will Cut Nearly 30,000 Jobs, Far Fewer Than Planned

10 hours ago

Houston Astros Donate $1M to Help Recovery From Texas Floods

10 hours ago

Tucker Carlson Aired Interview With President of Iran

11 hours ago

California Fails to Stop 23andMe Founder From Re-Acquiring Company

11 hours ago

Madera County Multi-Agency Effort Leads to Arrest of Felony Suspect in Atwater

11 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest DUI Driver During Crackdown on Illegal Street Racing and Sideshows

11 hours ago

July 4 Weekend Was No Picnic for Fresno-Area Firefighters. How Bad Did It Get?

12 hours ago

Tulare County Seizes 300 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks Over Fourth of July

12 hours ago

US Proposes Rules That Could Boost Oil, Gas Output in US West

13 hours ago

Netanyahu Nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

WASHINGTON – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday told President Donald Trump he had nominated him for the Nobel Peace ...

9 hours ago

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks on during a bilateral dinner with U.S. President Donald Trump (not pictured), at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 7, 2025. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
9 hours ago

Netanyahu Nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 7, 2025. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
9 hours ago

Netanyahu Meets Trump at White House as Israel, Hamas Discuss Ceasefire

A wind farm is shown in Movave, California, U.S., November 8, 2019. (Reuter File)
10 hours ago

Trump Executive Order Seeks End to Wind and Solar Energy Subsidies

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon testifies before a Senate Appropriations hearing on U.S. President Donald Trump's budget request for the Department of Education, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 3, 2025. (Reuters File)
10 hours ago

US Threatens California With Legal Action Over Transgender Sports Law

United States Department of Veterans Affairs logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. (Reuters File)
10 hours ago

US Veterans Affairs Will Cut Nearly 30,000 Jobs, Far Fewer Than Planned

A group of search and rescue workers paddle a boat in the Guadalupe River in the aftermath of deadly flooding in Kerr County, Texas, U.S., July 7, 2025. (Reuters/Sergio Flores)
10 hours ago

Houston Astros Donate $1M to Help Recovery From Texas Floods

11 hours ago

Tucker Carlson Aired Interview With President of Iran

Attendees visit the 23andMe booth at the RootsTech annual genealogical event in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., February 28, 2019. (Reuters File)
11 hours ago

California Fails to Stop 23andMe Founder From Re-Acquiring Company

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend