President Joe Biden unveiled the proposal in late May, outlining a three-phase approach that would lead to a permanent end to the conflict. (Photo: Bloomberg)
By Fiona MacDonald and Fadwa Hodali
Hamas has dropped its objections to a US-backed ceasefire proposal to end the conflict with Israel in Gaza, a source said, in the clearest sign yet that a truce is possible after months of fruitless negotiations.
The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity and spoke privately, said Israel had returned to the latest round of indirect talks with new changes, suggesting that tough negotiations are still ongoing. The talks will continue next week, Israel said.
“It must be emphasized that there are still differences between the parties,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
Hamas, which is designated a terrorist group by the US and UK, has agreed to overcome previous sticking points, the person said, without providing details. The Jerusalem Post reported earlier on Friday that Hamas appeared to have dropped a demand that Israel agree to a permanent ceasefire at the start of the proposed deal, while Israel’s Channel 13 said the new offer does not call for a full Israeli troop withdrawal in the initial phase.
Regardless, Hamas’ apparent shift to the other side offered the best hope in weeks that both sides could temporarily halt the fighting that sparked the group’s Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel. Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians and threatened to spark a broader regional war, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health authority.
President Joe Biden put forward a proposal in late May, outlining a three-phase approach that would lead to a permanent end to the conflict. He said it had Israel’s full support — something Israeli officials at the time declined to do.
“We are hopeful about the direction things are going, but there is still a lot of work to be done,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Friday. “We have also applied every possible pressure on Hamas to bring this deal to a close through our work with partners in the region.”
The issue has been a fundamental difference between the two sides all along. Hamas has pushed for a permanent ceasefire and says Israel must withdraw its troops completely from Gaza. Israel, meanwhile, has said it will stop the fighting, but not end it, as long as Hamas’s government and military structures remain intact.
An Israeli delegation led by Mossad chief David Barnea was in Qatar earlier on Friday for the talks and returned home late in the day. Barnea, who heads Israel’s external intelligence agency, met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
U.S. officials have said a ceasefire could lead to a permanent halt to the fighting. The war has unleashed turmoil in the Middle East and deep political divisions around the world, even hurting Biden’s bid for re-election in November.
U.S. officials have also sought to prevent a potential conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, while simultaneously trying to neutralize Houthi forces in Yemen, who say they will continue to attack commercial shipping as long as the conflict in Gaza continues.
First print: 06 Jul 2024 | 09:12 IST