US: Start of talks on ceasefire in Gaza 'promising'
Many parties are consulting about a solution to the war in the Gaza Strip. Hamas seems to be only indirectly involved. Nevertheless, US security advisor Kirby sees a positive start. Key issues remain the hostages held by Hamas and the future control of the Palestinian territory.
Against the backdrop of fears of a further escalation of the Middle East conflict, negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of the Israeli hostages held there have resumed in Qatar. The USA, France, and Britain made it clear that these talks are crucial for security in the entire region. US National Security Advisor John Kirby spoke of a "promising start" to the negotiations in the Qatari capital, Doha.
The new round follows a call by the mediators Qatar, USA, and Egypt. The head of the US external intelligence agency CIA, William Burns, was to participate in the talks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that his country would send the heads of its external intelligence agency Mossad and internal intelligence agency Shin Bet, David Barnea and Ronen Bar, to Doha. The participation of the Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas is unclear. According to information from the German Press Agency, it is not directly participating in the negotiations but is being kept informed about their content.
A representative of the radical Islamic Palestinian organization, who wished to remain anonymous, told AFP: "Negotiations with the mediators are continuing and have even intensified in the past few hours." Hamas wants "the Biden plan to be implemented and not just to negotiate for the sake of negotiating," he said, referring to a proposal for a ceasefire presented by US President Joe Biden at the end of May.
Still 115 hostages in Hamas' hands
Biden's multi-stage plan is the basis for the renewed talks. It initially provides for a six-week ceasefire, which could be extended for negotiations on a permanent end to the fighting. Moreover, the Israeli army is to withdraw from populated areas of the Gaza Strip. Israeli hostages held by Hamas are to be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Currently, Israel is reportedly demanding the release of 33 living hostages from Hamas' custody in exchange for a ceasefire. Among them are said to be women and children, as well as the elderly and the sick, according to the newspaper "Yediot Ahronot" citing Israeli officials involved in the negotiations.
Hamas is said to still hold 115 hostages, of whom Israel has declared 41 dead. Moreover, it is likely that further hostages, whose fate is unknown, are no longer alive. The "New York Times" reported about three months ago that Hamas had informed intermediaries that among the 33 hostages to be released in a first step, there were also dead ones. Hamas and other groups had not only killed almost 1200 people in a massacre on October 7, 2023, but also abducted about 250 people. Some of them have since been released alive.
Will Israel retain control in the Gaza Strip?
US security advisor Kirby is satisfied with the progress of the negotiations so far. Both sides have agreed to the framework of the agreement, and now it is about implementation. "Given the complexity of the agreement, we do not expect to reach an agreement today," Kirby said in Washington. He expects the talks to continue on Friday.
Contentious remains the question of who would control Gaza, for instance, after a withdrawal of Israel's military, including the crucial border with neighboring Egypt. Israel's Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi stated during a visit to the so-called Philadelphi Corridor that the Israeli army could maintain control even without a constant presence, with only occasional incursions. Israel claims that Hamas previously smuggled weapons from Egypt into Gaza in this area, a claim Egypt denies. Hamas demands a complete Israeli withdrawal from the coastal region as a condition for an agreement.
Militarily, Israel has reportedly achieved all that is possible in the area, according to high-ranking U.S. government officials, as reported by the New York Times. Israel's military has inflicted heavy damage on Hamas and destroyed important supply routes from Egypt to Gaza. However, it is assessed that Israel will never be able to completely eliminate Hamas. "Both sides must make compromises," Kirby told CNN.
The mediators, the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar, have been trying for months to achieve a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Biden had expressed the hope that an agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip could also deter Iran from attacking Israel and prevent further escalation in the region. Germany, France, and Britain have also recently increased pressure on the conflicting parties for a negotiated solution.
A potential solution could deter Iran from retaliation. Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia have been threatening Israel since the killings of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyah in Tehran and Hezbollah military chief Fuad Shukr in Beirut at the end of July. Hamas and Iran blame Israel for both attacks. Amid the threat of escalation, the U.S., Israel's closest ally, has strengthened its military presence in the region, sending more warships and fighter jets.
Kirby emphasized that it is unclear whether international pressure and negotiations have caused Iran to reconsider its position. The threat of an Iranian attack still persists. "An attack could come with little or no warning, possibly in the next few days," he said. "We must be prepared for that."
Meanwhile, Israel continued its operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. According to the Israeli army, around 20 fighters were killed in attacks in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip, more than 17,000 Hamas and other militant Palestinian group fighters have been killed in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army reported. According to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry, which cannot be independently verified, the total number of deaths in the Gaza Strip has reached at least 40,005.
In light of the ongoing negotiations, the United States Department of State issued a statement expressing support for the efforts of Qatar, Egypt, and the United States in facilitating a ceasefire and hosting talks to address the hostage situation in the Gaza Strip. The United States of America, along with France and Britain, stressed the importance of these negotiations in achieving peace and security in the region.
