The Washington Post: The Biden administration prepares final offer document for exchange deal between Israel and Hamas
The Washington Post said on Monday that the administration of President Joe Biden is preparing to present a “last chance” proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The Washington Post quoted a US official who preferred to remain anonymous as saying that the Biden administration is preparing to present a final proposal for a ceasefire in the ongoing negotiations.
The official indicated the possibility of ending the US-led negotiations if both sides reject the proposal.
“You can’t continue to negotiate like that… This process has to end at some point,” he said.
The United States, Egypt, and Qatar are leading negotiations between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire and prisoner exchange in Gaza.
Last May, Biden said in a speech from the White House, “Israel has presented a comprehensive proposal for a ceasefire and the release of all detainees, consisting of three stages, the first of which includes a comprehensive and complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas in Gaza, and the release of a number of detainees”.
On July 2, Hamas agreed to the proposal based on Biden’s vision, before Netanyahu turned against it and added new conditions.
Hamas subsequently asked the mediators to present a plan to implement what the movement accepted on July 2, based on the US president’s vision and Security Council Resolution 2735, and to oblige Israel to do so, instead of entering into new negotiations.
On June 10, the Security Council adopted US draft resolution 2735, which stipulates a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, a complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from it, an exchange of prisoners, reconstruction, and the return of displaced persons.
According to a senior US official in the Joe Biden administration, it’s difficult in the United States to assess whether the killing of the six hostages over the weekend in the Gaza Strip will be an incentive to reach an agreement.
This proposal would be the last to be presented to both sides, and if rejected, would mark the end of US efforts to promote the deal, US officials told The Washington Post.
According to the report, US officials have been talking with their counterparts from Egypt and Qatar about the broad outlines of a final “take it or leave it” deal that they plan to present to the parties in the coming weeks.
In a related context, a very small number of Israeli ministers’ support reaching a prisoner exchange and ceasefire agreement, including Defense Minister Yoav Galant, while a large majority of ministers support the position of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who rejects any such agreement.
It turns out that Galant is the only minister in the political-security cabinet who supports such an agreement.
The recent meetings of the political-security cabinet, yesterday and last Thursday, focused on this issue, during which the disagreement between Netanyahu and Galant emerged.
