US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Egypt on Tuesday to advance discussions on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal amid ongoing disputes. Blinken’s visit comes after meetings in Tel Aviv, where he announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted a US “bridging proposal” designed to address gaps in the negotiations. He called on Hamas to also accept the proposal to facilitate further talks.
The Palestinian group has yet to definitively reject the proposal but argues that it deviates from previously agreed terms and accuses Israel and the US of undermining the negotiation process.
In Egypt, Blinken is meeting with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, who, along with the US and Qatar, has been mediating the Gaza talks. The discussions are crucial as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen. Since the onset of the conflict on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israeli communities, the Israeli military campaign has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths, according to health authorities in Gaza. Additionally, about 250 hostages were taken during the initial attack, with Israel’s military recovering the bodies of six hostages from southern Gaza and reporting that 109 remain in captivity, a third of whom are believed to be deceased.
In ongoing violence, Israeli forces have been clashing with Hamas fighters, particularly in central and southern Gaza, with recent strikes killing at least 12 people, including those in a school sheltering displaced individuals. The Israeli military has defended its actions, stating that the school was being used by Hamas fighters.
The situation is further complicated by the discovery of polio in Gaza, with local health authorities awaiting vaccine supplies amid deteriorating living conditions. The UN has called for a ceasefire to facilitate vaccination efforts.
Blinken described the current negotiations as “probably the best, possibly the last opportunity” for a resolution, stressing that Hamas needs to accept the bridging proposal. US officials have not detailed the proposal’s specifics, focusing instead on ensuring both sides understand their commitments.
Hamas official Osama Hamdan criticized the proposal, citing inconsistencies with previous agreements. The ongoing discussions have repeatedly circled around issues such as the destruction of Hamas, the terms of a ceasefire, Israel’s military presence in Gaza, the movement of Palestinians, and prisoner exchanges.
Egypt is particularly concerned about the security arrangement for the Philadelphi Corridor, the border strip between Egypt and Gaza. While both Hamas and Egypt oppose an Israeli military presence there, Netanyahu argues that it is necessary to prevent weapons smuggling. The US has proposed an international presence in the area, which Egyptian security sources indicated might be acceptable if limited to a maximum of six months.
