US rules out Gaza ceasefire agreement by Aug 15, Bloomberg says
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Bloomberg cites US officials as saying the United States does not believe a Gaza ceasefire agreement could be reached by next week.
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Palestinians stand in rubble after an Israeli airstrike in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, August 6, 2024 (AP)
The United States does not anticipate that an agreement between the Palestinian resistance and the Israeli occupation, as facilitated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, will be ready for immediate signing on August 15, according to a senior official in the Biden administration cited by Bloomberg.
In a phone call on Thursday, the US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated, "There is still a significant amount of work to be done, with both sides holding firm to their positions."
On Friday, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States issued a joint statement saying that the time had come to finalize a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and arrange for a prisoner exchange.
The statement also noted that the parties have been working for months to reach a framework agreement, which is now on the table, with only the implementation details remaining.
The three countries expressed their readiness to present a final proposal to resolve the issues related to implementation in a manner that meets the expectations of all parties. They also called on both sides to resume urgent talks on Thursday, August 15, in Doha or Cairo.
US, Qatar, Egypt call for meeting to reach deal
Earlier, US President Joe Biden, Qatar's Emir Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi released a joint statement calling on "Israel" and the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas to finalize the ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal in a meeting set for next week.
The statement came almost a week after the Israeli regime assassinated Hamas' political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran; the leader of the movement's negotiations team. Additionally, "Israel" targeted a residential building in Beirut, killing five civilians – three women and two children – and a top Hezbollah military leader, Sayyed Fouad Shokor.
"It is time, immediately, to put an end to the long-standing suffering of the people of the Gaza Strip, as well as the hostages and their families. It is time to finalize a ceasefire agreement and release the hostages and detainees," the joint statement read.
The three leaders claimed that a framework agreement is ready and that all it needs to be finalized is to agree on implementation details.
"No more time should be wasted, and there should be no excuses by any party for further postponement," they said, adding that they are ready "if necessary" to make a final proposal to close the remaining gaps related to the implementation of the deal "in a way that meets the expectations of all parties."
A high-level Israeli delegation had arrived in Cairo to engage with Egyptian special services on the matter. However, two Israeli officials reported that the talks did not produce the desired results, with negotiations remaining stalled and a resolution seemingly distant.
Axios reported after the talks started that the Negotiations held in Cairo on Saturday regarding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a potential hostage exchange have reached a deadlock.
The stalemate followed reports from the Spanish news agency EFE, which cited Egyptian security services indicating that contacts between Egyptian and Qatari intermediaries with the Israelis had "stopped completely." This cessation followed the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously authorized negotiators to travel to Cairo for these talks, as reported by The Times of Israel. The negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire and facilitating a hostage exchange deal with the Palestinian movement Hamas.
