US, Arab mediators make strides towards Gaza ceasefire deal Delays persist over Israel’s condition

The United States, alongside Arab mediators, has intensified efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, aiming to bring an end to the 14-month conflict in the Gaza Strip.

Medics reported that Israeli airstrikes killed at least 20 Palestinians overnight, while intense diplomatic negotiations continue, Caliber.Az reports via Al Arabiya.

A Palestinian official close to the talks indicated on December 18 that substantial progress had been made, with most of the agreement’s clauses now agreed upon. However, Israel’s introduction of additional conditions, which Hamas has rejected, has caused delays, though the details of these conditions remain undisclosed.

Sources close to the talks in Cairo, Egypt, indicated that an agreement could be reached in the coming days, potentially securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The ongoing conflict has led to significant casualties, with medics reporting that Israeli airstrikes on December 17 killed at least 10 people in Beit Lahiya, while additional strikes in Gaza City, Nuseirat camp, and Rafah killed another 10 people.

According to the newspaper Al Quds, prisoners with the longest sentences will be deported to Türkiye and Iran, while the others will be released in the Gaza Strip, Judea, and Samaria.

In the northern Gaza Strip, four Palestinians were killed in an airstrike in Beit Hanoun. There has been no immediate comment from the Israeli military on these incidents. Israel’s forces have been active in Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya, and the Jabalia refugee camp since October, with the military claiming these operations are aimed at preventing Hamas militants from regrouping. Palestinians, however, accuse Israel of attempting to depopulate the area to create a buffer zone, a claim Israel denies.

As diplomatic talks intensify, the US, with the assistance of mediators from Egypt and Qatar, continues to pressure both sides to reach a resolution before President Joe Biden leaves office next month. Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with Adam Boehler, US President-elect Donald Trump’s designated envoy for hostage affairs, in Jerusalem. Trump has warned that severe consequences will follow if Hamas does not release its hostages by January 20, the day he returns to the White House.

CIA Director William Burns is also expected in Doha to discuss the remaining issues between Israel and Hamas, with Israeli negotiators previously visiting the Qatari capital to address gaps in the agreement proposed by President Biden in May.

The ongoing war, sparked by a Hamas-led attack in southern Israel that killed over 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages, has devastated Gaza, resulting in over 45,000 Palestinian deaths and displacing the majority of the region's 2.3 million residents. Despite Israel’s military operations, the situation remains dire, with much of Gaza left in ruins.

By Aghakazim Guliyev