The struggle for a ceasefire continues. According to the media, a new proposal is on the table. Meanwhile, Israel’s prime minister confirms plans for an offensive in Rafah. The news at a glance.
While Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirms plans for a ground offensive in Rafah in the Gaza Strip, the USA wants to make the ceasefire negotiations a success with a new compromise proposal, according to media reports.
As the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Arab mediators, the proposal presented by CIA Director William Burns in Cairo on Sunday evening provides for the Islamist Hamas to exchange 40 of the more than 100 hostages held in the Gaza Strip as part of a six-week ceasefire to release 900 Palestinian prisoners – including 100 who were sentenced to life in prison for murdering Israelis.
Israel should in turn allow up to 150,000 displaced Palestinians to return to the north of the coastal area. Meanwhile, right-wing conservative Prime Minister Netanyahu said a date had been set for an offensive against the refugee-filled city of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. He did not give any further details. The USA, as its most important ally, and Germany have repeatedly warned Israel against a large-scale offensive in Rafah.
US awaits response from Hamas
The news portal Axios also reported on Burns’ new proposal, which Israeli officials said was based on conditions discussed in previous negotiations. The new proposal requires compromises from both parties to the conflict. Israel’s security cabinet is expected to meet this Tuesday to discuss the proposal, according to Axios.
The Hamas delegation, in turn, left Cairo for consultations with its leaders. We are now waiting for the response from Hamas leader in Gaza, Jihia al-Sinwar, said the US government’s National Security Council communications director, John Kirby. This could take a few days. “If you ask me whether I am more optimistic today than I was a few days ago, I would say yes,” the news portal quoted a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Qatar as saying. The Gulf Emirate’s political leadership is said to have particularly close ties to Hamas.
Under Burns’ proposal, Hamas would have to make concessions on the number and identity of hostages it would release, it said. A central point concerns Israel’s demand that the Islamist organization release 40 of the 100 presumably still alive hostages, even if some of them do not meet the original criteria for release on humanitarian grounds, Axios reported. The first phase of an agreement would therefore provide for the release of women, soldiers, men over 50 years of age and men under 50 years of age with serious health problems.
In recent negotiations, Hamas stated that it did not have 40 living hostages from these categories. Senior Israeli officials believed this to be true, it said. Israel has therefore suggested closing the gap with soldiers or men under the age of 50 who are held hostage. In return, Israel would then release a higher number of Palestinian prisoners for each of these hostages, officials were quoted as saying.
Israel willing to compromise on return of civilians
Israel has also made it clear that it would compromise on the issue of returning civilians to the northern Gaza Strip if Hamas agreed to this aspect of the agreement, it said. The US proposal envisages a gradual and almost complete withdrawal of Israel from the corridor that divides the coastal area and prevents displaced Palestinians from returning to the north.
Israel wants to prevent Hamas fighters from mingling with those seeking protection when civilians return. The question of the return of Palestinian civilians to the northern Gaza Strip is one of the main points of contention in the negotiations, which the US, Qatar and Egypt are mediating because Hamas and Israel’s leadership do not hold direct talks as a matter of principle.
Hamas is calling for the full return of civilians to the north and a complete Israeli withdrawal from the land corridor that separates the southern Gaza Strip from the north. Israel would agree to a “gradual return” of civilians, but rejects the withdrawal of its soldiers, according to Axios. The Israeli side is also demanding identity checks to ensure that there are no Hamas fighters among them.
It is not clear whether Hamas will accept the compromise and be willing to release hostages who are soldiers or men under 50. Hamas sees the latter as a particularly effective means of pressure to force a permanent ceasefire.
Right-wing extremist partners are increasing pressure on Netanyahu
Meanwhile, in Israel, the right-wing extremist partners in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s coalition are pushing for an invasion of the city of Rafah, which borders Egypt, despite international criticism. After the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the city of Khan Yunis, Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on the X platform, formerly Twitter: “If the prime minister decides to end the war without a broad attack on Rafah to decisively defeat Hamas, He will have no mandate to continue to serve as head of government.”
Netanyahu then said that the date for an offensive had been set. In order to win, it is necessary to eliminate the last Hamas battalions. “This will happen, there is a date.”
US President Joe Biden had made it clear to Netanyahu that an invasion of Rafah without first evacuating the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians would be a “red line” for him. According to the communications director of the US National Security Council, Kirby, representatives of the two allied states are expected to discuss the planned offensive at a personal meeting next week.
Pope receives relatives of Israeli hostages
Meanwhile, Pope Francis received relatives of the Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas six months ago. The Vatican released photos showing members of five families at a private audience in the Apostolic Palace – holding photos and posters showing their kidnapped relatives. On Easter Sunday, the Pope called for an immediate ceasefire and the release of the hostages.
Hamas and other extremist groups murdered around 1,200 people in Israel on October 7th and kidnapped around 250 women, men and children. 105 of them were released after almost two months as part of a ceasefire. According to Israeli estimates, almost 100 of those abducted are still alive.