Ceasefire negotiations: mediators push for compromise between Israel and Hamas

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Israeli soldiers on the border with the Gaza Strip

Photo: Tsafrir Abayov/dpa

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirms plans for a ground offensive in Rafah in the Gaza Strip, the USA wants to make the ceasefire negotiations a success with a new compromise proposal, according to media reports.

As the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing Arab mediators, the proposal presented by CIA Director William Burns in Cairo on Sunday evening envisages the Islamist Hamas taking 40 of the more than 100 hostages held in the Gaza Strip as part of a six-week ceasefire in exchange for releasing 900 Palestinian prisoners - including 100 who were sentenced to life in prison for murdering Israelis. Israel should in turn allow up to 150,000 displaced Palestinians to return to the north of the coastal area.

Hamas dissatisfied with proposal

The new proposal, which Israeli officials say builds on conditions discussed in previous negotiations, is now expected to be discussed by Israel's security cabinet. However, Hamas circles have already said that the draft does not meet the demands made.

Under Burns' proposal, Hamas would have to make concessions on the number and identity of hostages it would release, sources said. A central point concerns Israel's demand that the terrorist organization release 40 of the 100 presumably still alive hostages, even if some of them do not meet the original criteria for release on humanitarian grounds, "Axios" reported. The first phase of an agreement would therefore provide for the release of women, soldiers, men over 50 years of age and men under 50 years of age with serious health problems.

In recent negotiations, Hamas stated that it did not have 40 living hostages from these categories. Senior Israeli officials believed this to be true, it said. Israel has therefore suggested closing the gap with soldiers or men under the age of 50 who are held hostage. In return, Israel would then release a higher number of Palestinian prisoners for each of these hostages, officials were quoted as saying.

Israel has also made it clear that it would compromise on the issue of returning civilians to the northern Gaza Strip if Hamas agreed to this aspect of the agreement, it said. The US proposal envisages a gradual and almost complete withdrawal of Israel from the corridor that divides the coastal area and prevents displaced Palestinians from returning to the north. Israel wants to prevent Hamas fighters from mingling with those seeking protection when civilians return. The question of the return of Palestinian civilians to the northern Gaza Strip is one of the main points of contention in the negotiations, which the US, Qatar and Egypt are mediating because Hamas and Israel's leadership do not hold direct talks as a matter of principle.

Hamas is calling for the full return of civilians to the north and a complete Israeli withdrawal from the land corridor that separates the southern Gaza Strip from the north. Israel would agree to a "gradual return" of civilians, but rejects the withdrawal of its soldiers, according to Axios. The Israeli side is also demanding identity checks to ensure that there are no Hamas fighters among them.

Right-wing extremist partners are increasing pressure on Netanyahu

Meanwhile, in Israel, the right-wing extremist partners in Prime Minister Netanyahu's coalition are pushing for an invasion of the city of Rafah, which borders Egypt, despite international criticism. After the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the city of Khan Yunis, Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on the platform "He will have no mandate to continue serving as head of government." Netanyahu then said in the evening that the date for an offensive had been set. In order to win, it is necessary to eliminate the last Hamas battalions. “It will happen, there is a date.”

US President Joe Biden had made it clear to Netanyahu that an invasion of Rafah without first evacuating the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians would be a "red line" for him. According to the communications director of the US National Security Council, Kirby, representatives of the two allied states are expected to discuss the planned offensive at a personal meeting next week. Germany has also repeatedly warned Israel against a large-scale offensive in Rafah.

czl/dpa/Reuters