DOHA: Gaza ceasefire talks in Doha were paused only a day after they began, as the United States offered a “bridging proposal” to Israel and Hamas to seal a deal, with Israel asking the US, Qatar and Egypt to put pressure on the Palestinian group to accept the new proposal before talks resume in Cairo next week.

Hamas did not take part in the Doha talks, as its senior official Izzat al-Rishq said Israel “did not abide by what was agreed upon” in the July 2 negotiations, and rejected what it called the “new conditions” which include keeping Israeli troops inside Gaza.

The US said that the two days of talks in Doha were “serious and constructive” and that Washington, represented by CIA Director William Burns, offered ideas to close an agreement toward ending the 10-month conflict.

Israel wants US, Qatar, Egypt to pressure Hamas to accept fresh proposal before talks resume in Cairo

“This proposal builds on areas of agreement over the past week, and bridges remaining gaps in the manner that allows for a swift implementation of the deal,” said a White House statement signed by co-mediators Qatar and Egypt.

Talking to reporters in the White House’s Oval Office, US President Joe Biden said, “We are closer than we’ve ever been” to a ceasefire in Gaza “but we’re not there yet. I don’t want to jinx anything… we may have something. But we’re not there yet.”

“It’s much, much closer than it was three days ago. So, keep your fingers crossed.”

Hamas, which has been informed about the latest round of talks as it did not send any delegation to attend the Doha session after the recent killing of its leader, demands “a complete ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from the Strip, a normal return of the displaced and a (prisoner) exchange deal” without restrictions.

An Israeli official said its delegation in Doha was heading home and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said, “We believe coming out of Doha this is a positive step forward, but it is just a step forward. There’s an awful lot of work that still needs to be done.”

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2024