Do not undermine Gaza ceasefire deal, warns Biden

Joe Biden has said he is “optimistic” that a Gaza ceasefire deal can be reached.

“We are closer than we’ve ever been,” the US president said following the latest round of talks, adding he was sending his secretary of state to Israel to continue the “intensive efforts to conclude this agreement”.

Amid concerns that Iran may launch an attack on Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Mr Biden said “no-one in the region should take actions to undermine this process”.

Hamas has expressed scepticism about the chances of a deal. And without mentioning the possibility of a ceasefire, Israel said it “appreciates the efforts of the US and the mediators to dissuade Hamas from its refusal to a hostage release deal”.

In a recent joint statement, the US, Qatar and Egypt stated that they had presented a proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal that “narrows the gaps” between Israel and Hamas.

Israel has said any ceasefire deal would require the release of the remaining hostages taken to Gaza by militants during the 7 October attack on Israel. Some of the 251 hostages have already been released, while others are thought to have died in Gaza.

Relatives of hostages still in Gaza are calling the current negotiations as the “last chance” to get some of them out alive.

Any sign of progress in the Qatar talks is regarded as essential by governments desperate to avoid the war in Gaza spiralling into an all-out regional conflict.

The mediators said that the past two days of ceasefire discussions had been “serious, constructive and conducted in a positive atmosphere”.

Technical teams are expected to continue working over the coming days on the details of how to implement the proposed terms before senior government officials meet again in Cairo, hoping to reach an agreement on the terms set out in Doha.

While the mediators’ statement is clearly a positive development, there is still a long way to go before a ceasefire is agreed.

This is not the first time the US president has said he thought a deal was close and not everyone shares his cautious optimism.

A senior figure from Hamas – which did not participate in the talks, but was in contact with Qatari and Egyptian officials – told the BBC: “What the movement’s leadership was informed of today regarding the results of the Doha ceasefire meetings does not include a commitment to implement what was agreed upon on 2 July.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office underlined the need for mediators to maintain their pressure on Hamas.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed.

More than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

A deal agreed in November saw Hamas release 105 of the hostages in return for a week-long ceasefire and the freeing of some 240 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Israel says 111 hostages are still being held, 39 of whom are presumed dead.

The first phase of the deal outlined by President Biden, based on Israel’s 27 May proposal, would include a “full and complete ceasefire” lasting six weeks, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza, and the exchange of some of the hostages – including women, the elderly and the sick or wounded – for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

The second phase would involve the release of all other living hostages and a “permanent end to hostilities”. The third would see the start of a major reconstruction plan for Gaza and the return of dead hostages’ remains.

Meanwhile, Israel’s military operation in Gaza continues, with new evacuation orders being made for several blocks in northern Khan Younis and Deir Balah – further shrinking the humanitarian zone.

Israel said the blocks had become dangerous for civilians “due to significant acts of terrorism” and the firing of rockets and mortars towards Israel.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) said: “Once again, fear spreads as families have nowhere to go. People remain trapped in an endless nightmare of death and destruction on a staggering scale.”

What is now making the need for a ceasefire deal even more urgent is the fact that the polio virus – which is spread through faecal matter – is now circulating inside the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge from the fighting.

“Let’s be clear: The ultimate vaccine for polio is peace and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” UN Secretary General António Guterres said.