The nearly nine months of fighting in the Gaza strip has lead to 37,834 Palestinian deaths and left 86,858 people injured, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. File Photo by Hatem Al-Rawag/UPI | License Photo
The Biden administration has proposed new language for parts of the ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas after negotiations have stalled.
The revised deal, first reported Friday by Axios, comes after Hamas proposed amendments to the original three-part plan, including a timeline for a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, which Israel refused. Advertisement
The new language reportedly focuses on negotiations between Israel and Hamas during the first stage that would set conditions for the second stage of the deal, which includes reaching a “sustainable calm” in Gaza.
The primary obstacle in these negotiations is that Hamas wants to focus only on the number and identity of Palestinians who would be released from Israeli custody in exchange for Israeli hostages, while Israel wants to be able to raise demilitarization of Gaza and other issues, according to Axios.
The United States is asking Qatar and Egypt to pressure Hamas into accepting the revised deal.
The second part of the plan has been a major sticking point. Hamas has called for a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some more right-wing members of his government have vowed to continue fighting until Hamas is eliminated. Advertisement
Netanyahu on Sunday told Israel’s Channel 14 he would accept a “partial deal” with Hamas that would free “some of the hostages” in Gaza and allow Israeli forces to continue the offensive.
The following day, Netanyahu walked back the comments after fierce pressure from the United States, Qatar, hostage families and even some Israeli politicians.
Israel’s military operations in Gaza are nearing nine months since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel. The war has now claimed 37,834 Palestinian lives and left 86,858 people injured, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The Israel Defense Forces said it is “continuing operational activity against terror targets” in the mostly destroyed Shejaiya area of Gaza City, months after Israel said it had dismantled Hamas’ operations in the north.
Gaza officials said they’ve received numerous calls from people trapped and injured by the fighting in Shejaiya.
“A number of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, and ambulance and civil defense crews cannot reach them,” the Health Ministry said.
