US President Joe Biden has warned all sides involved in the negotiations for a possible Gaza ceasefire deal not to undermine efforts.
Biden declared that โwe are closer than weโve ever beenโ to a ceasefire following the latest round of negotiations, but a senior Hamas official expressed scepticism.
The president also announced he was sending Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Israel to continue the “intensive efforts to conclude this agreement”.
His comments come following a joint statement by the US, Qatar and Egypt – stating that they had presented a proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal that โnarrows the gapsโ between Israel and Hamas.
Any sign of progress in the Qatar talks is regarded as essential by governments desperate to avoid the war in Gaza spiralling into an all-out regional conflict.
The mediators said that the past two days of ceasefire discussions had been โserious, constructive and conducted in a positive atmosphereโ.
Technical teams are expected to continue working over the coming days on the details of how to implement the proposed terms before senior government officials meet again in Cairo, hoping to reach an agreement on the terms set out in Doha.
Mr Biden later said in a statement that he had spoken separately with the leaders of Qatar and Egypt, who had expressed “strong support” for the proposal.
He added that he was also sending Mr Blinken back to the Middle East to “reaffirm my iron-clad support for Israelโs security” and to “underscore that with the comprehensive ceasefire and hostage release deal now in sight, no one in the region should take actions to undermine this process”.
While the mediators’ statement is clearly a positive development, there is still a long way to go before a ceasefire is agreed.
Nevertheless, Mr Blinken told US reporters that he had become more optimistic than ever that a deal was in reach but said if he revealed why, he’d “give it away”.
Asked when a potential ceasefire might start, he said “that remains to be seen”.
This is not the first time the US president has said he thought a deal was close and not everyone shares his cautious optimism.
A senior figure from Hamas – which did not participate in the talks, but was in contact with Qatari and Egyptian officials – told the BBC: โWhat the movementโs leadership was informed of today regarding the results of the Doha ceasefire meetings does not include a commitment to implement what was agreed upon on 2 July.โ
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuโs office, meanwhile, said he appreciated the efforts to โdissuade Hamas from its refusal on a deal that would release the hostagesโ.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
More than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
A deal agreed in November saw Hamas release 105 of the hostages in return for a week-long ceasefire and the freeing of some 240 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Israel says 111 hostages are still being held, 39 of whom are presumed dead.
