The international arena is witnessing continuous rounds of negotiations, as Egypt, in cooperation with other mediating countries such as Qatar and the United States, seeks to find a compromise formula for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The Egyptian initiative comes as part of efforts to end the Israel genocide in Gaza, which is suffering from a stifling humanitarian crisis after more than one year of war, which claimed the lives of tens of thousands of civilians.
The Egyptian proposal announced by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi included a temporary ceasefire for two days, during which four Israeli hostages held by Hamas would be released in exchange for the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.
This offer is considered an initial step. Egypt proposes holding intensive negotiations for ten days following the temporary ceasefire to reach a permanent ceasefire and bring urgent humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Despite the hopeful points contained in the initiative, it faces major obstacles that prevent real progress in the negotiations, including the conditions set by Israel, which require it to maintain military control over the border areas, especially the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah crossing.
These Israeli conditions are met by Palestinian demands for a complete withdrawal from Gaza, which complicates the possibility of reaching a final agreement.
The Egyptian proposal received broad international support. The United States held multilateral consultations, with US President Joe Biden speaking by phone with the Egyptian president and the Emir of Qatar to stress the need for cooperation to implement the proposal.
Reports indicated that the ongoing negotiations in Cairo have made "modest progress," according to officials, as the mediators brought some points of view closer together on humanitarian issues, such as providing food and medical supplies to civilians in Gaza.
In contrast, Israeli media quoted sources as saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes any long-term truce or comprehensive peace agreement.
Netanyahu insists on keeping Israeli forces on the border, specifically on the Philadelphi corridor, and expresses his reservations with the phrase "negotiations under fire," considering that military pressure is the only way to regain security control.
At the same time, Hamas insists on the condition of a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip to ensure its acceptance of the agreement, which puts the negotiations in a state of stagnation and makes it more difficult to achieve a final settlement at present.
American press reports, such as the Washington Post, indicate that these negotiations are becoming increasingly complicated with Israel’s insistence on keeping its military forces in strategic areas inside the Gaza Strip.
This insistence is met with reservations from some mediators, especially Qatar and Egypt, as they believe that a permanent military presence in the Strip may thwart any attempts to achieve a permanent truce.
Hamas also expresses its concerns that the presence of Israeli forces may hinder efforts to rebuild the Strip and pose a security threat to its residents.
While some parties seem optimistic about the possibility of achieving a breakthrough, other reports warn of the possibility of the negotiations collapsing if the parties concerned do not commit to some concessions.
Informed sources in Cairo confirmed that the talks are still at a standstill due to the intransigence of the positions between the two sides, noting that the number of hostages to be released by Hamas has been reduced to only four hostages per week, which Israel considers insufficient.
Despite the complexities, cautious optimism remains among U.S. officials, who have described the talks as "constructive." John Kirby, spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council, noted signs of progress and expressed hope that the ongoing negotiations could pave the way for a permanent ceasefire agreement and improve humanitarian conditions in the region.
Image Caption: Palestinians look at the site of an Israeli air attack in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, May 5, 2024 [Hatem Khaled/Reuters]