US to Present New Gaza Cease-fire Proposal at Doha Summit

August 14, 2024

by: Itamar Eichner ~ Ynetnews

Wednesday, 14 August 2024 | The United States is set to unveil a new proposal for a cease-fire and hostage release deal at a summit in Doha on Thursday, marking what is being billed as a last-ditch effort to reach an agreement.

The Biden administration is expected to exert significant pressure on all parties to immediately approve the proposed framework, though both the White House and mediators are bracing for the possibility of its failure. Details of the new proposal, and how it differs from previous ones, remain unclear.

Last week, the White House issued a statement on behalf of the mediators, saying, “As mediators, if necessary, we are prepared to present a final bridging proposal that resolves the remaining implementation issues in a manner that meets the expectations of all parties.”

The proposal is anticipated to address key issues raised by both sides, but is not expected to deviate significantly from prior offers.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied a New York Times report claiming he had toughened his stance in hostage release talks. The report cited documents outlining five new Israeli demands made in late July, including a stipulation that Israeli troops remain along the Philadelphi Corridor on the Gaza–Egypt border.

“Israel neither changed nor added any conditions to the outline. On the contrary, as of now, it is Hamas that has demanded 29 changes and has not responded to the original outline,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. “Israel stands firm on its principles according to the original outline: Maximizing the number of living hostages, maintaining Israeli control over the Philadelphi Corridor and preventing the passage of terrorists, weapons and ammunition to northern Gaza.”

White House Special Envoy for the Middle East Brett McGurk is scheduled to travel to Egypt for talks on the border situation before joining CIA [Central Intelligence Agency] Director William Burns in Doha for the summit.

Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to meet on Wednesday with members of Israel’s negotiating team, with observers closely watching to see if Mossad [Israeli intelligence agency] Director David Barnea will be granted greater latitude in the negotiations.

Posted on August 14, 2024

Source: (This article was originally published by Ynetnews on August 14, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

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