• Says Israel accepts, supports ‘bridging proposal’
• Hamas says new conditions include Netanyahu’s terms the Palestinian group won’t accept

TEL AVIV: Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Hamas to accept a US bridging proposal for Gaza truce and prisoners swap after what he said was a “very constructive” meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog on Monday.

The top US diplomat said the latest push for a deal was probably the best and possibly last opportunity, urging both sides towards agreement.

Talks in Doha last week paused without a breakthrough, after Hamas boycotted the talks and insisted that Israel should abide by what had already been agreed upon on July 2 instead of working out new conditions. Another round of negotiations is expected to resume this week based on the new US proposal to bridge the gaps.

With the unabated strikes by Israeli military killing at least 40 more Palestinians across the Gaza Strip taking the death toll to at least 40,139 and a Palestinian group announcing the resumption of bombings inside Israel after many years, there are few signs of conciliation on the ground.

“In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal — that he supports it,” Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv.

“It’s now incumbent on Hamas to do the same, and then the parties, with the help of the mediators — the United States, Egypt and Qatar — have to come together and complete the process of reaching clear understandings about how they’ll implement the commitments that they’ve made under this agreement.”

Despite US expressions of optimism and Netanyahu’s office describing the meeting as positive, both Israel and Hamas have signalled that any deal will be difficult.

Hamas accused Netanyahu of “thwarting the mediators’ efforts” and Turkiye said Hamas envoys had told it that US officials were “painting an overly optimistic picture” despite their clear stance of abiding by the earlier understanding and rejection of the new conditions being set by the US.

Ahead of talks in Qatar last week, Hamas had called on mediators, rather than holding more negotiations, to implement a framework outlined in late May by US President Joe Biden. After the Doha meeting, the US submitted what mediators called a “bridging proposal”, which Hamas on Sunday said “responds to Netanyahu’s conditions” and includes terms that the Palestinian group would never accept.

Hamas insisted on “a permanent ceasefire and a comprehensive withdrawal from the Gaza Strip”, saying Netanyahu wanted to keep Israeli forces at several strategic locations: Netzarim junction, the Rafah crossing and the Philadelphi corridor.

However, Herzog, speaking alongside Blinken, denounced “the refusal of Hamas to move forward”.

In past 10 months, Israeli military has levelled swathes of Gaza, driving nearly all of its 2.3 million people from their homes, giving rise to hunger and disease.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2024