Hamas, Israel must say yes to hostage deal, US say

The US urges Israel and Hamas to finalize a deal for releasing 115 hostages and achieving a Gaza ceasefire, amid ongoing negotiations and unresolved issues.

 (L-R): Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar; US President Joe Biden; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (photo credit: REUTERS/FLASH90)
(L-R): Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar; US President Joe Biden; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(photo credit: REUTERS/FLASH90)

The United States urged Israel and Hamas to finalize a three-phase agreement for the release of the remaining 115 hostages, which it believes would lead to a permanent ceasefire that would calm regional tensions.

“The United States continues to see a ceasefire in Gaza as the crucial step to helping calm broader tensions, in addition to, of course, securing the release of hostages and addressing the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Monday.

“He’s reiterating that all parties need to look for reasons to say ‘yes,’ to an agreement” and “not look for reasons to delay or say, ‘no,’” Miller said.

“As the Secretary has emphasized, this is an important moment for the region, and it is critical that parties make the right decisions,” he stressed.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty asked US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call on Monday to pressure Israel to “seriously engage” in Gaza ceasefire talks, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves as he departs for Doha, at Cairo East Airport, in Cairo, Egypt, February 6, 2024.  (credit: Mark Schiefelbein/Pool via REUTERS)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves as he departs for Doha, at Cairo East Airport, in Cairo, Egypt, February 6, 2024. (credit: Mark Schiefelbein/Pool via REUTERS)

Abdelatty also asked his US counterpart to pressure Israel to stop practicing the policy of “brinkmanship,” the ministry added.

Qatar and Egypt, together with the United States, are mediating a deal, the framework of which was unveiled on May 31.

An Israeli delegation was in Cairo on Saturday night for negotiations, following its participation in talks a week earlier in Rome.

Miller comments

Miller said that an agreement had been reached between the two sides on a framework agreement, but that gaps remain in the details.

He stressed that the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week had not derailed the talks, which are ongoing.


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He added, however, “It certainly did not help.”

A source rejected to The Jerusalem Post reports in the Israeli media that the talks were frozen, noting that there had been advancement on issues regarding the Rafah Crossing and the Philadelphi Corridor, the critical buffer zone between Egypt and Gaza.

Security officials, including those involved in the talks, have been fairly critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that he has introduced new terms into the deal.

Netanyahu and those close to him have rejected such claims. Netanyahu has set red lines, including the IDF’s retention of the Philadelphi Corridor.

He has also spoken of the importance of preventing terrorists from entering Gaza, a move that would also require an IDF presence at the Netzarim Crossing.

Those red lines, he has said, all fall within the framework of the deal.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attacked the deal on Monday, explaining that it would only allow for a small number of hostages to be freed and put in place a permanent ceasefire before others are released.

Reuters contributed to this report.