WASHINGTON: On Sunday, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan announced that discussions have resulted in a provisional agreement to secure the release of Hamas inmates in exchange for a short-term truce in Gaza.
Multilateral negotiations took place in Paris and Doha last week, and Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, is scheduled to visit the French capital in a few days.
The discussions “will be followed by meetings in Cairo” and are a “continuation of what was discussed in Paris,” according to an earlier report from Al-Qahera News, an outlet connected to Egyptian state intelligence services.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called Hamas’ demands for a truce and Israel’s exit from Gaza “delusional” and has vowed to push further into the region.
Israeli strikes have killed nearly 29,700 Palestinians so far; US allies express dissatisfaction with Washington’s strategy
“The four of them came to an understanding about what the fundamental contours of a hostage agreement for temporary ceasefire would resemble like,” Mr. Sullivan said CNN after representatives from Israel, the US, Egypt, and Qatar met in Paris.
The health ministry in Gaza, which is governed by Hamas, announced on Sunday that at least 29,692 Palestinians have died as a result of Israeli strikes, indicating that the intensified diplomacy is having little impact on the ground. Since the fighting started on October 7, 69,879 people have been injured. The toll includes 86 fatalities in the last 24 hours.
Hamas and Israel are connected through Qatar and Egypt.
According to US media, Hamas was told about the Paris negotiations on Sunday, but it hasn’t yet accepted the agreement.
“Qatar and Egypt will have to have indirect discussions with Hamas because in the end they will have to agree to release the hostages,” stated Mr. Sullivan.
His remarks come after an Israeli official told CNN that Tel Aviv would dispatch a delegation to Qatar to carry on negotiations over prisoner release and a cessation of military activities in Gaza.
The group would have a “limited mandate,” according to US media site Axios, and the discussions would be “technical.”
When asked about the Israeli premier’s post-war plan for Gaza, Mr. Sullivan said, “From what I’ve seen in the reporting, I have some concerns.”
In a document he delivered to his cabinet on Thursday, Mr. Netanyahu asked for unrestricted authority over civilian and security matters in the Gaza Strip.
Leaders in the Palestinian Authority promptly rejected the plan, and US media reported that it contradicts Washington’s idea of a two-state solution.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Sullivan suggested that Washington is still sticking to its plan, which calls for the unconditional release of all Hamas prisoners and provides security assurances to both Israelis and Palestinians.
Mr. Sullivan stated speaking with his Israeli counterparts in a subsequent interview with Fox News in order to “hear more because they’ve gone out in the media without coming to us to speak through all of this.”
The Biden administration’s sustained support for Israel, according to The Washington Post, has alienated America in the eyes of the world community.
At this week’s G20 gathering in Rio, where world leaders made no attempt to hide their feelings, Washington’s isolation became evident. US allies publicly voiced their dissatisfaction in private conversations, expressing the belief that US backing for a ceasefire might be crucial in averting further casualties.
Brazil’s Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, emphasized the price of “innocent lives” and denounced the UN Security Council for its “unacceptable paralysis.”
The assertion by South Africa that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza was reaffirmed. Israel was forewarned by Australia’s delegate regarding an impending military operation in Rafah.
SOURCE: DAWN NEWS
