In the week, talks have been held in Qatar's capital Doha, but terrorist-stamped Hamas has not participated directly in the talks and rejects what is meant to be "new conditions" from Israel. On the other hand, Israeli negotiators expressed "cautious optimism" based on a proposal presented by mediating USA.
After the USA-Israel negotiations in Cairo, the broader talks are expected to resume at the same location later in the coming week.
Demands not included in the proposal
However, according to sources, the proposal, which the USA hopes will lead to a ceasefire in the short term, does not include previous demands from Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reports The Times of Israel, citing TV channel Keshet 12. The demands concern a continued Israeli military presence at the border between Gaza and Egypt, as well as a mechanism in central Gaza that cuts off the area and prevents armed Hamas forces from returning to northern Gaza.
Only if the USA and Israel manage to agree on the terms for the two issues will the mediating countries Egypt and Qatar pressure Hamas to accept the agreement – Hamas has previously said that they will not agree if Netanyahu's demands are included.
Blinken in talks with Netanyahu
Something that shows the intensity of the talks is that USA's Foreign Minister Antony Blinken has traveled to the Middle East to try to "finalize an agreement on ceasefire and release of hostages and prisoners through the bridging proposal", according to a statement from the US Department of State.
Blinken and Netanyahu are expected to discuss the key issue on Sunday. Netanyahu is also expected to bring it up with Israel's negotiators before the talks begin in Cairo.
American officials have previously said that Hamas forces returning to northern Gaza would constitute a breach of the agreement. According to media company Walla, the mediators have presented a clause that gives Israel the right to resume hostilities if armed forces are moved to northern Gaza.
Egyptian sources claim, according to Israeli TV channel 13, that Egypt and Israel are negotiating what will apply along the Gaza border.
