The war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip is entering one of its most critical periods. The move comes after US President Joe Biden released details of a new draft ceasefire plan proposed by Israel to pressure the Israeli government to reach a deal on a hostage exchange.
This has caused turmoil within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, with right-wing ministers threatening to quit if the Israeli prime minister accepts the deal. This is because the draft cease-fire agreement does not include the destruction of Hamas as a condition for ending the war.
Recently, I came out to reaffirm that a high-ranking U.S. cease-fire proposal actually came from Israel and has now been submitted to Hamas for consideration.
During the daily press conference, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller answered reporters' questions about Israel's position on the new draft hostage exchange cease-fire agreement signed by US President Joe Biden. This was revealed last Friday.
The reporter's question is whether the United States is confident that Israel will accept the cease-fire plan and negotiate.
The State Department spokesman responded that the US was confident that it was an Israeli-made cease-fire plan. Intermediaries advise on negotiations such as the US, Egypt and Qatar.
Also, details of the draft agreement were submitted to Hamas last Thursday, a day before President Biden was due to release them. But there was no response from Hamas on whether or not it would accept the deal.
The Guardian newspaper reported the statement by John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council. A U.S. State Department spokesman confirmed in the same vein that the ceasefire agreement was Israel's proposal. Whether or not a new ceasefire agreement is reached now depends on Hamas's decision.
The question is why the US should continue to insist that Israel is the real owner of the new agreement and Israel will continue the negotiation process.
President Biden's draft of a new Israeli cease-fire agreement released Friday night is divided into three phases, paving the way for a permanent end to the war and post-war administration of the Gaza Strip.
Israel and Hamas will initially hold a six-week ceasefire, with Hamas releasing some hostages, including women, the elderly and the wounded, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Meanwhile, Israel is withdrawing its forces from heavily populated Palestinian areas. It allows Palestinians displaced by the war to resettle in the northern Gaza Strip. This includes allowing 600 humanitarian aid trucks to pass through the Gaza Strip per day.
Negotiations for a permanent end to the war will be carried out in parallel during the first temporary ceasefire. This would lead to the second phase of the ceasefire plan. Hamas will release all remaining hostages
Israel would withdraw all troops from the Gaza Strip and end hostilities in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The third phase of the project deals with the post-war reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
Points of difference from previous ceasefire agreement: Boundary between phase 1 and phase 2 of ceasefire.
Because it states that if an end to hostilities cannot be negotiated within 6 weeks of the first phase of the ceasefire, the temporary ceasefire may be extended indefinitely. Until there is a permanent ceasefire.
However, after President Biden revealed a draft of the Israeli cease-fire agreement to the international community, Netanyahu backtracked on the Prime Minister's approach. On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would not accept any deal. This allows Israel to end the war without including the satisfaction of key conditions, such as the destruction of Hamas' military capabilities and control of the Gaza Strip. This is a point that was not included in the latest ceasefire agreement.
It was not true that Israel agreed to a permanent cease-fire that did not lead to the elimination of Hamas, as was reported in the Israeli parliament yesterday. And indeed Israel can implement the cease-fire agreement announced by President Biden without a permanent end to the war.
Several parties have noted that the transition from a temporary to a permanent cease-fire could provide a window for Israel to resume its war in Gaza, contrary to statements by US leaders and senior officials. This seems to be because they want to control the far-right, which plays an important role in the Prime Minister's coalition government. Netanyahu can keep his government in power. Because now some far-right Israeli ministers have opposed the prime minister. Netanyahu came out hard.
Israel's Minister of National Defense, Itamar Ben-Gwir, has come to attack Israeli leaders. It tried to cover it up and refused to allow the promised armistice draft to be read twice.
Israel's national security minister has threatened again: his right-wing nationalist Jewish Power party will quit the government if Prime Minister Netanyahu accepts a ceasefire deal.
These are the prime ministers Netanyahu faces tough choices. An agreement was reached to bring the hostages home as soon as possible between their own political survival. This is another form of pressure exerted on the Prime Minister. Netanyahu is confronted by citizens within the country. Especially in recent times when news of a hostage's body has been found or the hostage's death has been confirmed.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces, confirmed the deaths of four more hostages: 80-year-old male hostage Nedev Popplewell; British-Israeli nationals, Amiram Cooper, an 85-year-old male hostage, and Haim Perry, a 79-year-old male hostage.
An Israel Defense Forces spokesman said the four hostages died during an Israeli military ground operation in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, based on an intelligence assessment. The bodies of the four hostages are in the custody of Hamas.
Relatives of one of the hostages protested at the US embassy. In Tel Aviv to call on the Israeli government to accept the cease-fire agreement, it expresses its sadness at the news of the death of 4 male hostages.
And after this there is no hope that the hostages will return home alive if the Israeli government refuses to come to an agreement.
Meanwhile, heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas has hampered humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip. Also, chronic shortages of food and relief supplies have allowed criminals to steal supplies, create chaos and approach lawlessness.
Andrea Di Domenico, head of the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs in the Palestinian Territories, has revealed that the humanitarian situation in Gaza shows that society in Gaza is now approaching a point where people are focused on survival and social rules and regulations may be at the point of collapse, with a clear example of the theft of humanitarian aid from large trucks.
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