Negotiators close to deal on Gaza ceasefire, says US official
Negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the remaining Israeli hostages are in the "final stages", a US administration official said on Wednesday, on the eve of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House.
"An agreement is within reach," said the anonymous official. A six-week ceasefire agreement is in sight in exchange for the release of hostage women, elderly men and the wounded over a 42-day period.
The deal now on the table is essentially what the Israelis asked for, the source said. "And now we need a few things from Hamas in order to move forward." According to the source, progress can be made in the coming weeks as these are "not insurmountable problems".
According to CNN, the talks will take place next week in the presence of CIA director Bill Burns and fellow negotiators. They will involve the director of the Mossad, the head of Egyptian intelligence and the prime minister of Qatar. The last two will then hold talks with Hamas.
Inflammatory speech
But inflammatory remarks made by Netanyahu could delay a potential deal. In a speech to the US Congress on Wednesday night, he blamed Hamas for the civilian casualties and the famine in Gaza.
"We let in 40,000 trucks with more than half a million tonnes of food. If this food is not reaching Gazans, it is not because Israel is blocking it, but because Hamas is stealing it," he said.
"If this food is not reaching Gazans, it is not because Israel is blocking it, but because Hamas is stealing it"
In response, Hamas accused him of lying. Netanyahu "obstructed all efforts to end the war and reach an agreement" on the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, the organisation said.
"Netanyahu is responsible for the consequences of this situation and for the fate of the hostages in Gaza," it said. About 120 Israeli hostages are currently still in Gaza, but many are believed to have died.
© PHOTO JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP
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