Blinken pushes for Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal during Egypt visit

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Egypt on August 20, seeking to advance discussions on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal amid unresolved major disputes.

Blinken's visit follows talks in Tel Aviv where he reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to a US "bridging proposal", Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

This proposal aims to address gaps between Israel and Hamas, which paused negotiations last week without reaching a breakthrough. Blinken has urged Hamas to accept this proposal to facilitate further discussions.

The Palestinian militant group has yet to reject the proposal outright but has criticized it for deviating from previously agreed terms and accused Israel and its US ally of stalling the negotiations process in bad faith. In Egypt, Blinken met with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, who, along with the US and Qatar, has been involved in mediating the Gaza talks for several months.

The ongoing conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters attacked Israeli communities, has led to significant casualties. According to Palestinian health authorities, over 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the conflict started. Israel has reported recovering the bodies of six hostages from southern Gaza, with 109 hostages still held, around a third of whom are believed to be deceased.

On the ground, Israeli forces continue to battle Hamas militants, with recent Israeli strikes in Gaza resulting in at least 12 deaths, including at a school housing displaced persons. Israel's military claimed that the strike targeted militants in a Hamas facility located within the school.

In Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry is awaiting the arrival of polio vaccines after the disease was discovered in the territory, where most residents now live in tents or shelters with inadequate sanitation. The U.N. has called for a ceasefire to facilitate a vaccination campaign.

Blinken described the latest push for a ceasefire deal as "probably the best, possibly the last opportunity," emphasizing that his meeting with Netanyahu was constructive. He stressed that it is now up to Hamas to accept the bridging proposal to move forward. US officials have not disclosed the specifics of the proposal or how it differs from earlier versions. Blinken highlighted the need for clarity on the implementation of the agreement and what each side would be expected to do.

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan criticized the proposal, claiming it raised ambiguities and differed from previously agreed terms. The negotiations have repeatedly faced hurdles, with Israel insisting that the war can only end with the dismantling of Hamas, while Hamas demands a permanent ceasefire rather than a temporary one.

Key points of contention include Israel's military presence in Gaza, especially along the border with Egypt, the movement of Palestinians within the territory, and the terms of a prisoner exchange. Egypt is particularly concerned with establishing a security mechanism for the Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow strip of land between Egypt and Gaza that Israeli forces have controlled since May. Both Hamas and Egypt oppose a permanent Israeli military presence there. The US has proposed an international presence in the corridor, which Egyptian security sources suggest could be acceptable if limited to a maximum of six months.