Israel to Send Negotiators to Finalize Gaza Cease-fire Framework Next Week
After the US, Egypt, and Qatar issued a joint call for Gaza cease-fire talks to resume next week, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said an Israeli delegation will take part in the negotiations....
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Facts
- After the US, Egypt, and Qatar issued a joint call for Gaza cease-fire talks to resume next week, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said an Israeli delegation will take part in the negotiations.[1]
- The statement, released on Thursday, called for Israel and Hamas 'to resume urgent discussion' in Doha or Cairo 'to close all remaining gaps and commence implementation of the deal without further delay.'[2][3]
- An unnamed senior US official said that only four or five areas of disagreement regarding the cease-fire and hostage release's implementation need to be resolved. Hamas said it was 'studying' the new offer for talks without giving details.[4][5]
- EU chief Ursula von der Leyen also called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza on Friday, saying it was the only way to 'secure the return of hostages' and expressed strong support for the efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar.[6]
- As mediators prepare for resumed negotiations, Israeli forces advanced in Khan Younis, clashing with Palestinian militants. The fighting led to another wave of displacement as residents fled to al-Mawasi, which Israel has designated as a humanitarian zone. Israeli airstrikes on al-Mawasi on Friday killed 10 people according to medics.[5]
- In Lebanon, an Israeli strike killed Hamas security official Samer al-Hajj in the coastal city of Sidon. Al-Hajj reportedly worked in the nearby Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said two civilians were injured in the strike.[7]
Sources: [1]Timesofisrael, [2]The White House, [3]Al Jazeera, [4]Associated Press, [5]Reuters, [6]WE News English and [7]Barrons.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Politico. The US and its allies are confident that after some tough negotiating, a deal between Israel and Hamas can be reached. A guaranteed end to the war will ensure increased humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave, release Israeli hostages, and create a better 'day after' in Gaza without Hamas in power. The US will continue to work toward closing the gaps and ensuring that peace and stability can be restored to the region.
- Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Jerusalem Post. Though Israel will do what it must to free those taken hostage in Gaza, it cannot rush into a deal that creates a lifeline for Hamas. Israel faces an entire network of Iranian-backed terror and must act wisely to gain as much as it can in negotiations with Hamas while avoiding full-scale regional escalation. Israel may have to make some tough, but necessary, concessions to ensure the release of the hostages and prevent further instability.
- Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. There is no indication that a cease-fire is on the horizon. Netanyahu has consistently sought to escalate the situation and prolong his political career. Israel's killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was clearly a move to further complicate cease-fire negotiations and provoke an Iranian retaliation. The US, which has supported Israel every step of the way, including in its genocidal campaign in Gaza, has failed to resolve the situation.
