Blinken announces Israel's acceptance of US-backed ceasefire proposal, urges Hamas to follow suit (WATCH)

By Sunita Iyer | First Published Aug 19, 2024, 10:59 PM IST

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Monday that Israel has agreed to a proposal aimed at resolving the disagreements impeding a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Monday that Israel has agreed to a proposal aimed at resolving the disagreements impeding a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza. He urged Hamas to also accept the proposal but did not specify whether it addressed the group's concerns.

Blinken's comments followed a 2.5-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He is scheduled to visit Egypt on Tuesday. The United States, Egypt, and Qatar have been working for months to negotiate an agreement, but talks have frequently stalled.

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Blinken did not clarify if the proposal included provisions related to Israel’s request for control over two strategic corridors in Gaza, which Hamas has previously rejected, or other long-standing issues in the negotiations.

BREAKING🚨: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel accepted a proposal for a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza, and called on Hamas to do the same. -AP
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— Officer Lew (@officer_Lew)

“In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel supports the bridging proposal,” Blinken told reporters. “The next important step is for Hamas to say ‘yes.’”

Earlier, Blinken emphasized the urgency of finalizing a Gaza cease-fire agreement to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and alleviate Palestinian suffering after over 10 months of intense conflict in Gaza.

This marked Blinken's ninth trip to the Middle East since the conflict erupted. His visit followed renewed optimism from mediators, including the United States, about a potential deal. However, Hamas has voiced significant dissatisfaction with the latest proposal, and Israel has indicated unwillingness to compromise on certain issues.

Blinken's trip, just before new talks scheduled for this week in Egypt, comes amid concerns that the conflict could escalate into a broader regional war, particularly following the targeted killings of two high-profile militants in Lebanon and Iran, which have been attributed to Israel.

“This is a decisive moment, probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a cease-fire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security,” Blinken said as he opened talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv.

“It’s also time to make sure that no one takes any steps that could derail this process,” he said in a veiled reference to Iran. “And so we’re working to make sure that there is no escalation, that there are no provocations, that there are no actions that in any way move us away from getting this deal over the line, or for that matter, escalating the conflict to other places and to greater intensity.”

Herzog expressed gratitude to Blinken for the Biden administration's support for Israel and lamented the recent surge of attacks against Israelis over the past 24 hours.

“This is the way we are living these days,” Herzog said. “We are surrounded by terrorism from all four corners of the earth and we are fighting back as a resilient and strong nation.”

Mediators are scheduled to reconvene in Cairo this week to work towards finalizing a cease-fire. Blinken will travel to Egypt on Tuesday for meetings in the Mediterranean city of el-Alamein after concluding his visit to Israel.

Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for 2½ hours on Monday, followed by a meeting with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant later that day.

The conflict began on October 7 when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths, mostly civilians, and the abduction of around 250 people. Currently, about 110 hostages are believed to be in Gaza, though Israeli authorities estimate that a third may be dead. In November, a weeklong cease-fire facilitated the release of over 100 hostages.

Israel's counterattacks in Gaza have resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths, according to local health officials, and have severely impacted the region.

Last week, Egypt, Qatar, and the US, who are mediating a potential cease-fire, reported progress on an agreement. This deal would see Israel cease most military operations in Gaza and release several Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the remaining hostages.

Before Blinken's arrival in Tel Aviv on Sunday, Netanyahu informed his Cabinet that there are areas where Israel could be flexible in negotiations, while there are other areas where it remains inflexible.

“We are conducting negotiations and not a scenario in which we just give and give,” he said.

The evolving proposal outlines a three-phase process where Hamas would release all hostages taken during its October 7 attack. In return, Israel would withdraw its forces from Gaza and release Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas has accused Israel of introducing new demands, including maintaining a military presence along the Gaza-Egypt border to prevent arms smuggling and along a line dividing the territory to search Palestinians returning to their homes in the north. Israel contends that these are not new demands but clarifications of a prior proposal.

Officials have noted that the US has put forward proposals to address the remaining gaps between Israeli and Hamas positions. Formal responses to these proposals are anticipated this week and could potentially lead to a cease-fire declaration, provided the negotiations do not falter as previous attempts have.

Late Sunday, Hamas issued a statement accusing Netanyahu of placing new obstacles in the way of a deal, claiming he is trying to prolong the conflict. The statement also criticized the mediators’ latest offer, describing it as a capitulation to Israel.

“The new proposal responds to Netanyahu’s conditions,” Hamas said.

On Monday, Blinken urged both sides to seize the opportunity to reach an agreement, stating, “It is time for everyone to get to ‘yes’ and to not look for any excuses to say ‘no.’”

An Israeli delegation engaged in talks with Egyptian officials as part of the truce efforts. The Egyptian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, reported that the lengthy meeting on Sunday focused on the Philadelphi corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border but did not produce a breakthrough.

The official noted that Israel continues to demand control over the border and the east-west route that divides Gaza. He added that the delegation did not present any new proposals during the discussions.

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