CAIRO (AP) — Egypt, one of the key mediators in the Gaza conflict, expressed skepticism Wednesday as new details emerged about a proposal to bridge differences in cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas, a day before talks resume in Cairo.
The challenges surrounding the so-called overturning proposal appear to undermine the optimism that Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed on his most recent visit to the Middle East this week that an agreement would be forthcoming. Diplomatic efforts have been stepped up as fears of a regional war grow following recent targeted killings of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, both blamed on Israel, and threats of retaliation.
U.S. President Joe Biden will speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, said two officials familiar with the plan who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Officials in Egypt, which has an unprecedented role as mediator and affected party since it shares a border with Gaza, told The Associated Press that Hamas will not accept the settlement proposal for several reasons, including its long-standing wariness over whether a deal would actually result in the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and end the war.
An Egyptian official with direct knowledge of the negotiations said the proposal to overcome differences calls for implementation of the first phase of the deal, which is the release by Hamas of the most vulnerable civilian hostages captured in the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war. In the first phase, the parties would negotiate the second and third phases without “guarantees” to Hamas from Israel or the mediators.
“The Americans are offering promises, not guarantees,” the official said. “Hamas will not accept this, because it practically means releasing civilian hostages in exchange for a six-week pause in fighting with no guarantee of a permanent, negotiated ceasefire.”
Blinken concluded his ninth visit to the Middle East since the start of the war on Tuesday without making any major progress toward a ceasefire agreement, warning that “time is of the essence” even as Hamas and Israel have indicated challenges remain.
After holding meetings in mediating countries Egypt and Qatar, Blinken said that since Israel has accepted a proposal to overcome differences with the armed group, the focus now turns to doing everything possible to “engage Hamas” and ensure that both sides reach agreement on certain key details related to implementation.
“Our message is simple. It is clear and it is urgent,” he told reporters before leaving Qatar. “We need a ceasefire agreement and a hostage release to get to the finish line, and we need to do it now. Time is of the essence.”
Also on Wednesday, Netanyahu made his first trip north of Israel since Israel killed a Hezbollah commander last month in Beirut, as global attention returned to the exchanges of fire on the Israel-Lebanon border.
“We are ready for any circumstance, both defensively and offensively,” said the president when visiting the troops.