Blinken steps up pressure on Hamas amid doubts over Gaza ceasefire

The top US diplomat said Hamas was the only obstacle to reaching a deal, despite concerns that the militant group and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could find ways to scuttle the three-part, US-sponsored proposal. United States, Egypt and Qatar.

Hamas has yet to provide a formal response to the proposal, which includes a six-week ceasefire; the withdrawal of Israeli troops from densely populated areas of Gaza; the release of all women, elderly people and children held hostage; and an increase in humanitarian aid to the starving enclave.

Blinken made the remarks after a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi in Cairo, his first stop on a four-country tour across the Middle East aimed at building support for the proposed deal and negotiating agreements on how Gaza will be governed once the fighting stops.

Blinken's efforts are complicated by Saturday's Israeli raid that freed four hostages but killed more than 200 Palestinians, sparking an angry response of Hamas. Another issue was Israeli Minister Benny Gantz's decision Sunday to leave the government over what he called Netanyahu's failure to create a long-term strategy for Gaza.

U.S. officials say Gantz, a centrist member of Israel's war cabinet, has had a moderate impact on Netanyahu, whose coalition represents the most far-right government in Israeli history. With the resignations of Gantz and war cabinet monitor Gadi Eisenkot, far-right members of Netanyahu's coalition who oppose the ceasefire deal are now fighting for more influence .

The main sticking point in the negotiations is Hamas's desire for a permanent ceasefire and Israel's promise to continue fighting for total military victory, a goal that U.S. officials view as unattainable.

President Biden sought to break that impasse in a May 31 speech that detailed the proposed three-part deal to permanently end the war. U.S. officials hoped that by making the terms of the deal public and presenting it as virtually indistinguishable from proposals already agreed to by the two sides, it could prevent Hamas and Israel from withdrawing.

But this strategy has not yet borne fruit. Netanyahu responded to Biden's speech by insisting that Israel would not agree to a permanent ceasefire without the destruction of Hamas's military and government capacity. Hamas, meanwhile, is pushing for more guarantees that the deal will lead to a permanent ceasefire, according to four officials who spoke to The Washington Post on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive discussions.

The main U.S. official seeking to bridge this divide is CIA Director William J. Burns.

In discussions with Qatari and Egyptian officials last week, Burns asked them to emphasize to Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh that international mediators would guarantee that negotiations on a permanent ceasefire would begin as early as the third week. of the first phase of the deal, officials said. . Burns also requested that Egypt and Qatar emphasize that the terms of a permanent ceasefire would be settled by the fifth week.

But these assurances were refused by Haniyeh, who insisted that Hamas would only accept the deal if Israel provided a written guarantee of a permanent ceasefire. Hamas wants the pledge written in light of Netanyahu's public remarks ruling out a permanent ceasefire, but few diplomats believe the Israeli leader would be willing to agree to such a request.

Frustrated by Hamas' request, U.S. officials urged Qatar and Egypt to step up pressure on Hamas to accept the current proposal. As a result, Qatari and Egyptian officials told Haniyeh that he and other Hamas officials would be asked to leave Qatar if a deal was not reached, officials said.

Within the U.S. government, assessments are mixed about the prospects for a deal. Pessimists point out that the final decision rests with Hamas leader Yehiya Sinwar, who is believed to be in Gaza's vast network of tunnels. Some U.S. officials say Sinwar will not accept a deal because it would ultimately lead to the dissolution of Hamas. The militant leader sees the war as a means to achieve his goal of further isolating Israel on the world stage and he might prefer to die a martyr, officials say.

Optimists say the Israeli raid to free four hostages showed that the Jewish state can free hostages with or without negotiations. They point out that Sinwar can be considered a hero for securing a deal to release hundreds of Palestinians from Israeli prisons, another aspect of the deal currently being proposed. U.S. officials optimistic about a deal believe that if Hamas responds with a proposal with only minor modifications, the Israelis will accept it.

Blinken offered a hopeful assessment Monday.

“Our Egyptian counterparts were in communication with Hamas just a few hours ago,” Blinken told reporters after leaving his meeting with Sissi. “Egypt, the United States and other countries believe that we should be able to get to 'yes.' »

After his visit to Egypt, Blinken will visit Israel, Jordan and Qatar. “This is a critical moment because we see the possibility, we see the prospect of an immediate ceasefire,” Blinken said.