The United States has reiterated its call for Israel and Hamas to finalise a ceasefire agreement to end the war in Gaza, as both sides continue to blame each other for the failure of indirect negotiations.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during a visit to Haiti, stated that 90% of the outstanding issues have been resolved. “It is now up to the two parties to finalise an agreement on the remaining issues,” Blinken said at a press conference.
He warned that each day without an agreement risks derailing the fragile situation.
The conflict, now in its 11th month, was triggered by Hamas’ raid on southern Israel on 7 October. The U.S., in collaboration with Qatar and Egypt, has been mediating between the warring parties.
Khalil al-Hayya, a member of Hamas’ political bureau based in Qatar, stated, “If the US government and its president genuinely want a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange agreement, they must end their blind support for the Zionist occupation and exert real pressure on Netanyahu.”
Since the discovery of the bodies of six hostages by the Israeli armed forces over the weekend, Benjamin Netanyahu has faced pressure from various sides to finalise a truce agreement to release the more than 60 remaining hostages in the Palestinian enclave in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention centres.
However, the Israeli prime minister remains steadfast, repeatedly expressing his intention to eradicate Hamas, which has governed Gaza since 2007 and is designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the US, and the EU.
Among the obstacles to reaching an agreement are the control of the Philadelphia Corridor, a narrow strip of land along the closed borders of the Gaza Strip and Egypt, which the Israeli military wants to retain, the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel in exchange for hostages, and their ability to veto certain names.
Netanyahu, speaking to Fox News, insisted, “There is no agreement under negotiation. Unfortunately, we are very far from achieving it.” He emphasised Israel’s priorities, including maintaining control of the Philadelphia Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border.
Netanyahu often argues that Hamas is a pawn of Iran, a sworn enemy of the Jewish state, which supports the Palestinian Islamist movement. Hamas, for its part, insists on implementing a plan presented by US President Joe Biden on 31 May, which it accepted on 2 July, and is based on the UN Security Council resolution.
The war has resulted in extensive destruction. According to the Hamas Health Ministry, at least 40,878 people have been killed in Gaza. The UN reports that most victims were women and children.
In Israel, the October 7 attack led to 1,205 deaths, mostly civilians, based on official data. Of the 251 people abducted, 97 remain in Hamas custody, with 33 declared dead by the Israeli military.
The World Health Organisation has taken advantage of “humanitarian pauses” to administer polio vaccines to children in parts of Gaza.
In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces continued raids, with the Palestinian death toll reaching at least 36 since August 28, according to the Palestinian Authority.
(philenews with information from in.gr)
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