Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said Thursday that U.S. negotiators will return to Qatar “in the coming days” to resume ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
But why Blinken and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani believe Hamas has become more open to dialogue since Israel killed its leader Yahya Sinwar last week. suggested that there were very few.
“We haven’t really determined yet whether Hamas is ready to engage,” Blinken said at a joint news conference with al-Thani in the Qatari capital Doha. “The fundamental question is: Is Hamas serious?”
U.S. officials see Mr. Shinwar as a major obstacle to negotiations, and since Mr. Sinwar’s killing, the surviving leaders of the insurgents have ended the year-long war in Gaza and have released the dozens of people remaining there. There were hopes that the United States might be willing to reach an agreement with Israel to free the hostages. .
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, a group representing families of Gaza prisoners, said in a statement Thursday that it welcomed the restart of ceasefire talks and hoped that Sinwar’s death would be a starting point for peace.
“The last military gains, especially the removal of Shinwar, must be leveraged to secure a single comprehensive agreement for the return of all hostages,” the group said.
Blinken visited the Middle East this week at the request of President Biden, hoping to jump-start talks that have been frozen for months.
However, at the joint press conference, neither Blinken nor al-Thani gave any indication that Hamas’ position had softened.
Mr Al-Thani said that within a week of Mr Sinwar’s death, Qatar had “re-engaged” with Hamas through the group’s political representative, which has an office in Doha, and that Hamas remained in the “same position” as before. He said he felt that there was. Since we last presented a formal negotiation proposal several months ago. Israel and the United States rejected that position as unacceptable.
Al-Thani added that Egypt is also playing a role in resuming ceasefire negotiations, saying that “talks are continuing between Egypt and Hamas.” He did not elaborate on the content of those discussions.
Blinken and al-Thani spoke for more than an hour before addressing reporters and discussed how to end Israel’s offensive in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in a way that ensures Israel’s security. He also said that they had discussed in detail whether to do so. .
Because Hamas and Israel do not speak directly to each other, and the United States does not deal directly with Hamas, Qatar and Egypt will act as mediators in the talks. U.S. officials announced that CIA Director William J. Burns would continue to participate in negotiations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that the country’s foreign intelligence chief, David Barnea, “will depart for talks with Mr. Burns and Mr. Al-Thani in Doha on Sunday.”
Blinken did not say whether the U.S. might propose a new position, but said he had discussed “concrete ideas” for rebuilding Gaza after the war as part of his trip to the Middle East. Ta.
“Now is the time for countries to decide what role they are prepared to play and what contribution they can make to move Gaza from war to peace,” he said.
More urgent, however, is the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza, especially as winter approaches, Blinken said. He announced that the United States would provide an additional $135 million in humanitarian aid “to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and the region.”
Since October 7, 2023, the United States has provided a total of $1.2 billion in humanitarian assistance.
The Biden administration has been pursuing a three-phase deal for months, starting with a six-week cessation of fighting to free the remaining hostages from Gaza in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. The second phase envisages a permanent ceasefire, and the third phase provides for a multi-year reconstruction plan for Gaza.
U.S. officials said this week that the Biden administration is open to considering new proposals, including the possibility of a short-term halt to Israeli attacks lasting less than two weeks in exchange for releasing only some hostages.
Blinken, who visited Israel and Saudi Arabia earlier this week, stressed that to end the war in Gaza, “we need to continue to develop a plan going forward so that Israel can leave, so that Hamas doesn’t form.” . Palestinians can rebuild their lives and rebuild their future under Palestinian leadership. ”
