Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al-Mayadeen's correspondent in southern Lebanon: Israeli occupation forces withdraw from the Blida municipality building two hours after occupying it, and the Lebanese army enters
Pakistani army: 6 soldiers and 7 militants killed in clash near the Afghan border
Israeli media: Sirens sound in the settlement of Kerem Shalom in the Gaza envelope area
Afghan source to Al Mayadeen: We still believe in dialogue and prioritize diplomatic solutions with Pakistan; though we are ready for all possibilities.
Afghan source to Al Mayadeen: Pakistan purposely obstructed negotiations in Turkey by making unrealistic demands.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: More than 70 martyrs in Israeli attacks on Gaza since dawn.
Death toll from latest Israeli strikes on Gaza rises to 30
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Five killed in the Israeli bombing of a civilian vehicle on Al-Qassam Street in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip
Hamas confirms that it has no connection to the shooting incident in Rafah and affirms its commitment to the ceasefire agreement
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Two civilians were killed and four others, including a child and an infant, were injured in an Israeli bombing of a house belonging to the Al-Banna family in the al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City

US-Israelis-Egypt agree on necessity to close Philadelphia axis: Axios

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 10 Jul 2024 22:48
5 Min Read

The director of the CIA continues his rounds of talks with regional officials as the Biden administration scrambles for a ceasefire in Gaza without all-out calling for one.

Listen
  • x
  • CIA director William Burns speaks during a hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill, March 11, 2024, in Washington, DC, the United States (AP)
    CIA director William Burns speaks during a hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill, March 11, 2024, in Washington, DC, the United States (AP)

CIA Director Bill Burns met with senior officials from Qatar, Egypt, and the Israeli occupation in Doha on Wednesday to address and finalize the remaining issues in the Gaza captive release and ceasefire deal. This crucial step aims to pave the way for detailed negotiations, Israeli journalist Barak Ravid wrote in Axios, citing sources familiar with the discussions.

There is growing optimism among Israeli and US officials about the possibility of reaching a deal, especially as the White House is exerting pressure on all involved parties to finalize the agreement, which could potentially secure the release of 120 captives and bring an end to the nine-month-long war of attrition on Gaza.

According to two Israeli officials, "Israel", Egypt, and the United States, all agree that it is necessary to close the Philadelphia Corridor on the border between Egypt and Gaza to stop weapons from being allegedly "smuggled to Hamas through underground tunnels."

The U.S. demonstrated a strong desire, according to Israeli officials, to actively participate in the construction of border infrastructure, including an underground "wall" that can detect attempts to dig tunnels and destroy them instantly.

At a minimum, the deal could lead to a 42-day pause in hostilities and the release of some captives, including American citizens.

One of the primary unresolved issues is Hamas' demand for written commitments from the US, Egypt, and Qatar to continue negotiations for the second phase of the deal without a time limit while the first phase is implemented.

Israeli and US officials believe this matter can be resolved during the current talks in Doha, allowing for detailed negotiations on the deal's implementation to proceed.

Other unresolved issues include the timeline for the redeployment of the Israeli occupation forces in Gaza, the identity and sequence of Palestinian prisoners to be released from Israeli prisons, and whether the Israeli occupation will have the right to veto the release of certain detainees.

Israeli intransigence

Burns arrived in Doha on Tuesday after discussions in Cairo with Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and a trilateral meeting with senior Egyptian and Israeli security officials.

Related News

Nazzal: Netanyahu violating Gaza ceasefire, resistance holds firm

Death toll from latest Israeli strikes on Gaza rises to 30

He later met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani, a key mediator between Hamas and the Israeli occupation. On Wednesday, Burns held a joint meeting with the Qatari Prime Minister, the director of the Israeli Mossad, and the director of Egyptian intelligence.

Simultaneously, Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Security Minister Yoav Gallant in occupied Palestine.

Netanyahu expressed his commitment to a captive and ceasefire deal, provided the Israeli occupation's key conditions are met. Gallant emphasized the importance of seizing this opportunity to secure the return of captives held by Hamas and stressed the need to establish mechanisms to prevent arms smuggling into Gaza.

He also indicated the Israeli occupation's support for reopening the Rafah crossing, provided Hamas is not involved in its governance.

Optimistic much?

The optimism regarding the ceasefire talks comes despite new conditions laid out by Netanyahu, which are expected to potentially hamper the talks and any progress within them.

The Washington Post published an op-ed on Monday suggesting that the latest conditions laid out by Netanyahu's office for a potential ceasefire in Gaza could stall negotiations and prevent any deal from occurring altogether.

According to the report, "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu injected new uncertainty into the negotiations," by insisting that "Israel" must retain the option to resume its aggression on Gaza as part of any agreement accepted by negotiators.

The report notes that his statement "appeared to raise the bar" for what "Israel" would agree to in a deal, and further dampened hopes for an imminent peace.

On Sunday, Netanyahu stipulated that "any deal will allow Israel to resume fighting until all of the objectives of the war have been achieved." A statement released from his office indicated that the prime minister would not be ready to fully endorse a permanent ceasefire until the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza is completely eliminated.

The report mentioned criticism on the part of the opposition as well as from captives' families who argue that his conditions are posing a serious hurdle to peace talks, while opposition leader Yair Lapid labeled Netanyahu's statement as "provocative messages."

On July 6, Reuters reported, citing a senior Hamas source, that the movement accepted a US proposal to begin talks on releasing Israeli captives, including soldiers and men, 16 days after the first phase of an agreement aimed at ending the Gaza war.

The Palestinian Resistance group withdrew its demand for "Israel" to commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing the agreement. Instead, it will allow negotiations to work toward this goal during an initial six-week phase, as reported to Reuters by an anonymous source due to the private nature of the talks.

Two days prior, Hamas representative in Lebanon Ahmad Abdul Hadi told Al Mayadeen that the Resistance "will continue to battle [the Israeli occupation] if no agreement is reached."

  • Occupied Palestine
  • Palestine
  • Egypt
  • Israel
  • Israeli occupation
  • CIA
  • Gaza
  • William Burns
  • Qatar
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

  • Technology
  • 24 Oct 2025
Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

  • Politics
  • 27 Oct 2025
Hi-tech holocaust: Microsoft’s role in Gaza genocide

Microsoft's role in world’s first AI-driven genocide, in Gaza, exposed

  • Technology
  • 28 Oct 2025
What Marr evidently didn't seem to understand was that Hedges isn't saying that Western journalists manipulate the truth, but that they systematically amplify Israeli narratives they know are false. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Western journalists know they have a case to answer for their betrayal of Gaza, and it frightens them

  • Opinion
  • 24 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Displaced Sudanese who fled El-Fasher after the city fell to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), rest near the town of Tawila in war-torn Sudan's western Darfur region (AP)
Politics

UAE directly funded RSF, leading to fall of El-Fasher: Sudan

'You’re not welcome in Greece': Israelis face port protests
Politics

'You’re not welcome in Greece': Israelis face port protests

This photo released by the Israeli military on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, shows ground operations inside the Gaza Strip (AP)
Politics

IOF soldier who fought in Gaza, Lebanon denied entry to Czech Republic

UN inquiry exposes 'Israel’s' four genocidal crimes against Gaza
Politics

'Israel' committed four genocidal acts in Gaza, UN inquiry finds

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS