JERUSALEM (AP) — Mediators are preparing to implement a Gaza cease-fire and hostage exchange deal ahead of a final deal to end the 10-month Israel-Hamas war, a U.S. official said Friday.
The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, said the proposal currently on the table essentially bridges every gap between Israel and Hamas.
A new “implementation cell” was established in Cairo that will focus on the logistics of the deal, including the release of hostages, humanitarian aid to Gaza and monitoring the implementation of the deal’s terms, the official said.
The comments come after negotiators expressed hope for an immediate deal. They said two days of talks had ended in Qatar and planned to reconvene in Cairo next week to sign a deal to end the fighting.
Israel issued an ambiguous statement praising the mediators’ efforts, and Hamas’ statement that it was not keen on the latest deal to end the devastating war and release Israeli hostages held in Gaza. A cease-fire is seen as the best hope for averting an even larger regional conflict.
But U.S. President Joe Biden seemed optimistic that “we’re closer than we’ve ever been” to a deal.
Biden expressed hope before a deal was struck that negotiations would break down.
“We might have something,” Biden told reporters Friday. “But we’re not there yet.”
Both sides agreed to the plan in principle Biden announced on May 31. But Hamas has proposed amendments, and Israel has suggested clarifications, leading each side to accuse it of trying to broker a deal.
Hamas has rejected Israeli demands, including a permanent military presence on the border with Egypt and a line dividing Gaza that would seek Palestinians returning to their homes to root out the militants.
A report by mediators Qatar, the United States and Egypt, U.S. officials have proposed a plan to bridge the remaining gaps between the two sides. They said the teams would continue to work in the coming days on how to implement specific measures.
“Senior officials from our governments will meet again in Cairo by the end of next week with the aim of finalizing the agreement under the terms presented today,” the statement said.
Hamas raised doubts that a deal could be reached soon.
In a statement, the militant group said the latest proposal was significantly different from the previous iteration, which they had agreed to in principle, indicating they were unwilling to accept it.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement saying, “We appreciate the efforts of the United States and mediators to prevent Hamas from reneging on the hostage release agreement.”
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken plans to visit Israel over the weekend to “continue vigorous diplomatic efforts” to reach a ceasefire and to underscore the need for all parties in the region to avoid escalation, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said.
Blinken is expected to meet with Netanyahu on Monday to discuss the new deal, an Israeli official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to comply with official requirements.
New motivation for a decision Israel-Hamas war The death toll of Palestinians in Gaza came crossed 40,000According to Gaza health officials, fears were high that Iran and Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon would attack Israel in retaliation for the killings of top militant leaders.
International mediators believe an agreement to end fighting between Israel and Hamas is the best hope for easing tensions. Release the Israeli hostages.
International diplomacy to stop the war from spreading intensified on Friday, with British and French foreign ministers making a joint visit to Israel.
British Foreign Secretary David Lamy and French Foreign Minister Stéphane Sejournay appeared optimistic after meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Friday.
Lamy said they believe Israeli officials are close to finalizing a deal.
“As we now go 315 days into the war, it’s time for a deal to get those hostages back, to get much-needed aid in Gaza and to stop the fighting,” Lammy said. .
Speaking to him, Sejourne said any move to derail the talks was unacceptable. He and Lammy had sent very clear messages to all parties, he said, that this was a crucial moment “because it could lead to peace or war”.
In a statement to his British and French counterparts, Katz told his British and French counterparts that if Iran attacks Israel, Israel expects its allies not only to help defend itself, but also to join in attacking Iran.
He also warned Iran, which backs Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels in Yemen and has attacked Israel since the Gaza war began, to end the attacks.
“Iran is the leader of an axis of evil, and the free world must stop it before it’s too late,” Katz said at X.
On October 7, Hamas-led militants stormed the heavily guarded border, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 250 to Gaza. More than 100 were freed during a week-long ceasefire in November, and about 110 are believed to still be inside Gaza, although Israeli officials believe a third of them are dead.
More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s devastating retaliatory attack, Gaza’s health ministry said Thursday. Not to mention how many fighters. Israel’s military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said on Thursday that Israel had killed more than 17,000 Hamas fighters in the war in Gaza, without providing evidence.
Diplomats hoped the ceasefire agreement would stop Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah from retaliating. A high-ranking Hezbollah commander was killed In an Israeli airstrike on Beirut A key Hamas political leader in Tehran was involved in a bomb attack Israel was widely blamed for that.
Intermediaries have been trying for months A three-phase plan It included the release of Hamas hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
While the talks were ongoing, Israel continued its assault on Gaza.
On Friday it dropped leaflets asking civilians to evacuate the northern Khan Younis and eastern Deir al-Bala areas, saying the forces planned to retaliate against rocket attacks aimed at Israel. After the order was issued, airstrikes hit parts of Khan Younis and people fled. A video showed black smoke billowing into the air after the loud bang.
Egypt’s foreign minister said on Friday that the ceasefire agreement was crucial to reducing temperatures across the region.
“We will make every effort to achieve an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip because this is the basis for stopping the escalation,” Badr Abdelati said during a visit to Lebanon.
In a clear message to Israel, Hezbollah released a video on Friday, with Hebrew and English subtitles, showing underground tunnels where trucks transport long-range missiles.
A Hezbollah official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of military matters, said the missiles in the video had a range of about 140 kilometers (86 miles) and were capable of reaching deep into Israel.
Hezbollah has tens of thousands of rockets, missiles and drones, giving it the ability to strike anywhere in Israel, the group says. Hezbollah began attacking Israel on October 8 and says it will stop when the Gaza war ends.
___
Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue and Abby Sewell in Beirut, Julia Frankel in Jerusalem and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
