US working with mediators on new Gaza ceasefire proposal: State Dept.
4 Min Read
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says the US would explore other options if not satisfied with "Israel's" full inquiry into the killing of American-Turkish citizen Aysenur Ezgi Eygi.
-
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller during a news briefing at the State Department on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Washington. (AP)
The United States remains engaged with mediators Egypt and Qatar to finalize a revised proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, mentioned State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Monday.
While Miller did not provide a timeline for the proposal—anticipated for several weeks—he emphasized that Washington is focused on ensuring the proposal can lead to a final agreement between "Israel" and Hamas.
Talks regarding a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal have been stalled as the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip continues.
The Philadelphi Corridor on the border between Gaza and Egypt and details on the release of Israeli captives held by Hamas and the Palestinian detainees remain the main sticking points to a deal.
The Corridor includes the Rafah border crossing with Egypt which is crucial for aid delivery. It extends 12.6 kilometers from the Karem Abu Salem crossing to the Mediterranean Sea.
The Israeli Prime Minister claims the Corridor is crucial for Hamas' operations and insists on maintaining a military presence there as part of any agreement.
But the Palestinian Resistance has reiterated that its demands are clear and non-negotiable: a permanent cessation of Israeli aggression on Gaza and a complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the Strip.
It also reaffirms its commitment to the July 2 ceasefire proposal, initially presented by US President Joe Biden and approved by all parties except "Israel".
Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is adamant about not withdrawing from the Philadelphi Corridor during the first phase of a potential agreement, intending to postpone the withdrawal to the second phase, while Hamas insists on a first-phase withdrawal.
Biden previously remarked that Netanyahu "is not making enough effort" to reach an agreement for the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza.
Read more: 'Why are they still in Gaza?': Settlers protest anew, demand deal
US would explore other options if not satisfied with 'Israel's' probe into Eygi's killing
In a related context, the US diplomat claimed that "Israel's" preliminary investigation into the killing of 26-year-old American-Turkish citizen Aysenur Ezgi Eygi does not absolve Israeli forces.
He also cautioned that the US would explore other options if not satisfied with "Israel's" full inquiry.
Eygi was shot dead on September 6 by the Israeli occupation forces during a protest against illegal Israeli settlements near Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli occupation military said it had found that it was "highly likely that she was hit indirectly and unintentionally" by Israeli fire.
US President Joe Biden said he thought the killing of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was an "accident", but both Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin called it "unprovoked and unjustified."
The investigation and eyewitness accounts make it clear "that her killing was both unprovoked and unjustified," Blinken told reporters on a visit to London.
"No one should be shot and killed for attending a protest," he said.
"In our judgement, Israeli security forces need to make some fundamental changes in the way that they operate in the West Bank, including changes to their rules of engagement.
"We have the second American citizen killed at the hands of Israeli security forces. It's not acceptable. It has to change."
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi is not the first American activist to be killed by the Israeli occupation.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) September 8, 2024
Here's a brief history of "Israel's" killings of American activists. pic.twitter.com/EodJIy331G
Austin spoke last week with Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant, urging him to "reexamine the (Israeli military's) rules of engagement while operating in the West Bank," according to a readout of the call from the Pentagon.
But Biden insisted that the killing appeared to have been an accident.
"Apparently it was an accident -- it ricocheted off the ground, and she got hit by accident," he told reporters.
Read more: Turkey opens probe into murder of Turkish activist by Israeli forces
