An Israel-Gaza ceasefire deal is closer than ever, Biden said

Joe Biden said he is “hopeful” that an agreement can be reached to end the war in Gaza.

“We are closer than ever,” the US president said after the latest talks, adding that he is sending his secretary of state to Israel to continue “intense efforts to finalize this agreement”.

Amid concerns that Iran may attack Israel over the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Mr Biden said “no one in the region should take steps to undermine this plan”.

Hamas has expressed doubts about the chances of a deal. And without mentioning the possibility of an end to the fighting, Israel said it “appreciates the efforts of the US and the mediators to stop Hamas from rejecting the hostage release agreement”.

In a recent joint statement, the US, Qatar and Egypt revealed that they have presented a proposal for a ceasefire and a hostage release agreement that “bridges the gap” between Israel and Hamas.

Israel has said that any ceasefire deal would require the release of the remaining hostages taken in Gaza by terrorists during the attack on Israel on October 7. Some 251 of the hostages have been released, while others are believed to have died in Gaza.

Relatives of the hostages in Gaza call the current talks a “last chance” to get some of them out alive.

After 10 months of war and thousands of casualties, there is a lot of pressure to succeed.

A wider regional conflict, should negotiations between Israel and Hamas completely collapse, is a possibility and something that all parties fear.

The arbitrators said in the last two days of the suspension Negotiations have been “difficult, constructive and conducted in a positive atmosphere”.

Technical teams are expected to continue working in the coming days on the details of how to implement the proposed policies before senior government officials meet again in Cairo, hoping to reach an agreement on the terms set in Doha.

Although the mediators’ statement appears to be a positive development, there is still a long way to go before an agreement on disarmament can be reached.

It’s not the first time Mr Biden has said he thinks a deal is close – and not everyone shares his cautious optimism.

Hamas and the Israeli government are none too happy about their responses.

A senior Hamas official told the BBC that, in fact, Israel has changed some of its demands regarding the free movement of people in Gaza in the event of an end to the shooting and remaining in control of the Israeli army in key areas of Gaza.

Israel says its position and core principles have not changed and were “known”. He blamed Hamas for refusing to agree to a deal to release the hostages.

Above all else, Israelis want to see the remaining hostages released but many doubt that is the intention of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He insisted that the “total victory” of Hamas was his government’s priority.

The Israeli military launched an operation in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented attack in southern Israel on October 7, in which around 1,200 people were killed.

More than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the area.

A deal agreed in November saw Hamas release 105 hostages to end the week-long release of 240 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. Israel says 111 hostages are still being held, 39 of whom are presumed dead.

A Hamas official – who did not take part in the talks, but is in contact with Qatari and Egyptian officials – told the BBC that the Doha talks did not produce “an obligation to fulfill what was agreed” during the talks in July.

Those talks are understood to have seen Hamas reduce its demand for a permanent ceasefire in accordance with Mr. Biden’s proposal for a six-week pause in which the war may end.

Mr. Biden’s disarmament proposal includes the withdrawal of Israeli troops from all occupied areas of Gaza, the speedy release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and the return of the bodies of the hostages.

However, Hamas accused Israel of introducing new conditions a week later, but it is understood that it is still open to revisiting the previous version of the agreement.

The “closing proposal” put forward by negotiators from the US, Egypt and Qatar will be the subject of talks by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the region and should be the basis for the next talks in Cairo where all parties, including Hamas, are expected. to be present.

That proposal is reported to “close the remaining gaps” between the two sides that may allow for “quick implementation of the agreement”.

It may sound straightforward, but there are huge hurdles to overcome and there is still absolutely no trust between the top figures of Israel or Hamas.

They are pulled from the table – perhaps against their will – some fear what might happen if they fail.

Meanwhile, Israeli military operations in Gaza continue, as new evacuation orders are issued from several areas north of Khan Younis and Deir Balah – further reducing humanitarian space.

Israel said the bases have become a danger to civilians “due to massive terrorist acts” and the firing of rockets and missiles into Israel.

The UN agency for Palestine refugees (Unrwa) said: “Once again, fear is spreading as families have no place to go.” People are still trapped in an endless nightmare of death and destruction on a massive scale.”

Making the need for a ceasefire even more urgent is that the polio virus – which is spread through faeces – is now circulating in the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge. refuge from fighting.

“Let us be clear: The greatest antidote to polio is peace and an immediate end to violence,” said UN Secretary General António Guterres.