War in Gaza: talks interrupted, new ceasefire proposals… where are the negotiations at? ?

Negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages held in the enclave will resume next week, mediators announced on Friday, August 16, 2024.

Washington has presented a new proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza that should overcome obstacles to the swift implementation of the agreement, Egypt, Qatar and the United States said in a joint statement. The mediators will continue to work on the proposal in the coming days, they added.

“We have never been closer” of an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza, Joe Biden assured on Friday. “We are not there yet”, the American president said again on the sidelines of a ceremony in the Oval Office, before adding that a compromise was nevertheless “much closer than it was three days ago”.

Hamas is not taking part in the discussions

A new round of negotiations began Thursday in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Hamas is not participating in the discussions but has been kept informed of their progress. The negotiations are “constructive” and in a “positive atmosphere” in Doha, according to the joint statement by the three countries. A senior Hamas official told Reuters on Friday that the details he had been given of the talks did not match what had been agreed last month.

Hossam Badran, a member of Hamas's political bureau, said on Thursday that continued Israeli military operations in Gaza were also an obstacle, as Israeli forces struck several targets in the Gaza Strip last night.

Israel orders more evacuations

An Israeli official said his delegation would return to Israel later on Friday and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to meet U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday.

The main obstacles to a agreement lies in Israel's determination to completely destroy Hamas, or the fact that the Palestinian group is demanding a permanent rather than temporary ceasefire. Israel also ordered further evacuations on Friday from areas that had initially been designated as safe for civilians.

The negotiations are taking place amid fears of a regional escalation, with Iran threatening to retaliate after Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran on July 31.