September 12, 2024 11:18 GMT
Little Prospect Of Gaza Ceasefire As Hamas & Israel Trade Blame
ISRAEL
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There is still little sign of any move towards a ceasefire in Gaza, with Israel and Hamas laying the blame at one another's feet for the inability to reach an agreement On 11 September, Qatar's PM Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and the director of Egyptian intelligence Abbas Kamel met with Hamas' negotiating team under Khalil al-Hayya, after which the latter stated, "We see positively reaching a ceasefire agreement that will include the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the entire Gaza Strip".
- Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's office retorted, claiming that "Hamas tries to hide the fact that it continues to oppose the deal for the release of hostages, and thwarts it. While Israel accepted the final bridging proposal put forward by the US on August 16, Hamas rejected the proposal..."
- Both US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and CIA Director William Burns have said that a new proposal will be put forward 'very soon'. Nevertheless, the two camps appear as far apart on the issue as they have been in some time, reducing the prospect of a ceasefire deal.
- This will ensure tensions in the region remain elevated, not just in Israel, but with regards to Houthi attacks on shipping in and around the Red Sea, and on Israel's border with Lebanon given the risk of an escalation in conflict with Hezbollah.
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