Bridging proposal : Blinken says Israel supports the Gaza plan and encourages Hamas to concur

Bridging proposal : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted a “bridging proposal” put out by Washington to resolve differences impeding a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Blinken also pleaded with Hamas to accept the plan. This declaration comes after a full day of talks with Israeli officials, which included a two and a half-hour meeting with Netanyahu.

This endeavor is said to be the final, if not the best, opportunity to close a deal.
After halting last week without result, negotiations in Qatar to secure a truce and a deal for the release of hostages are expected to go back up in light of the US proposal to close gaps between Israel and Hamas.

Blinken’s visit comes amid demonstrations and the Democratic Party national conference, and comes amid mounting election-year pressure on US President Joe Biden about his position on the war.

On the other hand, Hamas, which claimed responsibility for an explosion in Tel Aviv on Sunday night, announced the return of suicide bombers in Israel, escalating tensions on the ground. At least thirty Palestinians are said to have died as a result of Monday’s military attacks in Gaza by Israel. These events heighten worries of a wider confrontation.

“In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal – that he supports it,” Blinken said to reporters in Jerusalem.
“It’s now incumbent on Hamas to do the same, and then the parties, with the help of the mediators – the United States, Egypt, and Qatar – have to come together and complete the process of reaching clear understandings about how they’ll implement the commitments that they’ve made under this agreement.”

Even while there have been words of hope and Netanyahu’s staff described the discussion as constructive, reaching a compromise is still difficult. There have been indications of serious difficulty in the discussions from both sides. Despite months of negotiations, the fundamental problems have not altered. Israel maintains that the conflict must terminate until Hamas is destroyed both militarily and politically, while Hamas calls for an ongoing cease-fire.

The main points of contention are the details of a prisoner exchange, the unrestricted movement of Palestinians inside Gaza, and Israel’s continuous military presence in Gaza, especially at the border with Egypt. Negotiations have become more difficult as a result of Hamas leaders’ accusations that the US favors Israel.

“It is clear that the Israelis are pressuring the Americans, not the other way around, when Blinken claims that the Israelis consented and the Israelis later announce that a revised proposal has been made. According to senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan, “We think it’s a move that gives the Israelis more time,” Reuters was informed.

According to Israeli estimates, the present crisis in Gaza started on October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters attacked Israeli villages, killing over 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping roughly 250 captives. Israel’s military actions in retaliation have had a significant effect on the Gaza Strip, uprooting almost all of its 2.3 million inhabitants and causing serious humanitarian problems. According to Palestinian health officials, at least 40,000 people have died in Gaza.

On his eighth visit to the area since the start of the war, Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog on Monday. Yoav Gallant, the minister of defense, was then met. In the next days, he has appointments to visit Qatar and Egypt as well.

According to Egyptian security sources, an agreement on a security framework for the Philadelphia Corridor between Egypt and Gaza will determine whether or not there be any further ceasefire discussions in Cairo this week.

The United States has proposed an international presence in the region, which may be acceptable provided it is restricted to a period of six months.

Families of captives in Israel have persisted in pressing for a resolution. “Don’t sacrifice my daughter and the dozens of helpless hostages,” Ayelet Levy-Shachar stated on Kan Radio, speaking of her 20-year-old daughter Naama who was taken prisoner at an army facility. Protesters in Tel Aviv carried placards that said, “Hostage deal now,” and they waved US flags. “Hi Joe! “They don’t have time,” and “Mr. Biden, please help us save them.”

Palestinians in Gaza have doubts about the significance of Blinken’s visit. “They are lying more and more in an attempt to ruin us. Kill us, kill our kids, starve us and leave us without a place to live. The Palestinian people would suffer with Blinken’s presence, he warned, displacing Hanan Abu Hamid from her Rafah home.

Fears of a wider escalation involving major countries have been raised as a result of the prolonged war, which has increased regional tensions and resulted in months of border confrontations between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah organization.