Key Gaza ceasefire mediators urge Israel and Hamas to resume talks amid deep mistrust

Hamas studying the proposal and Israeli PM says ready to send delegation but warns war will continue

Palestinians flee Khan Younis after another evacuation order was issued by the Israeli army in the southern Gaza Strip. EPA

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Leaders of the US, Qatar, and Egypt have urged Israel and Hamas to resume Gaza ceasefire talks in Doha or Cairo next week, despite deepening mistrust following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and the appointment of hardliner Yahya Sinwar as his successor.

The call, swiftly supported by countries in the region including the UAE and Turkey, comes amid fears of a full-scale war in the Middle East, as Israel awaits Iran’s retaliation for the killing of Mr Haniyeh on its soil and Hezbollah’s avowed “punishment” for the assassination of its senior military commander in Beirut last week.

Its apparent aim is to create momentum for stopping the devastating war in the Palestinian territory in order to diffuse tensions across the region and halt the violence before the conflict escalates further.

"We have called on both sides to resume urgent discussion on Thursday, August 15 in Doha or Cairo to close all remaining gaps and commence implementation of the deal without further delay," leaders of the US, Egypt and Qatar said in the statement.

"It is time to bring immediate relief both to the long-suffering people of Gaza, as well as the long-suffering hostages and their families. The time has come to conclude the ceasefire and hostages and detainees release deal.

"There is no further time to waste, nor excuses from any party for further delay."

The UAE, Turkey, Lebanon and other countries in the region joined and expressed their support for the urgent call.

"The United Arab Emirates joins the call issued by His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt, and President Joe Biden of the United States to conclude the ceasefire and hostages and detainees release deal," Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The UAE urges the parties to respond to the call to resume urgent discussions on 15th August 2024. As outlined by the three leaders, the agreement currently on the table would end the suffering of the people of Gaza and the hostages and their families. The UAE hopes that the parties will not delay this any further," added the statement.

"Finally, the UAE reiterates its deep appreciation and complete support for the tireless mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States to reach an agreement to end the misery in Gaza."

The killing of Mr Haniyeh immediately pushed ceasefire talks into a “dark tunnel”, sources said last week. He had played a key role liaising with mediators Qatar, which led to months of negotiations alongside Egypt and the US.

Hamas blamed Israel for the assassination and swiftly appointed the most-wanted militant in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, as its new political leader. The daring choice looks set to have a significant long-term impact on the group itself, effectively merging the political and military wings into one body. The immediate impact is expected to take the form of tougher and more uncompromising negotiations to stop the Gaza war.

Israel to attend, Hamas considering

Office of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli negotiators would attend the talks "to finalise the details and implement the framework agreement".

But Mr Netanyahu warned in an interview with Time magazine published hours before the joint mediators' statement that the war in Gaza would continue no matter the outcome of the talks. "We have to ... achieve the release of all the hostages and win the war," he stressed.

A Palestinian political source close to Hamas and involved in the negotiations said that the group is "considering" the joint call and is working on identifying “new positions” given the recent change in leadership.

“Hamas is considering the proposal to resume negotiations and is working at the same time on a document that outlines its new positions regarding all aspects of a potential deal,” the source told The National.

A member of Hamas's political bureau declined to comment on what the final decision might be but confirmed that the group is considering the proposal.

Mr Sinwar has already conveyed to Egyptian mediators an uncompromising stance on sticking points preventing a ceasefire deal in Gaza, sources told The National.

The militant leader, 61, spent much of his adult life in Israeli jails before being released in a 2011 prisoner swap. He became Hamas’s leader in Gaza – its senior leadership resides abroad – in 2017.

Israeli intelligence assessments from his time in prison describe Mr Sinwar as a “cruel, authoritative, influential” leader who had “unusual abilities of endurance” and an ability to “carry crowds”.

Sources close to the mediators of the ceasefire talks told The National his appointment could impede already fraught negotiations because of his hardline position on the war in Gaza.

Israelis, some of them armed, prepare to attend prayers during an event in Tel Aviv. AFP

Shortly after his appointment on Tuesday, Mr Sinwar made contact with Egyptian mediators to convey his firm message, with conditions including a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of high-profile Palestinian detainees as part of a ceasefire deal to end the war, the sources said.

He also informed the Egyptians he was “uncompromisingly” opposed to the Palestinian Authority taking control of Gaza after the war. The PA exercises partial control in some areas of the occupied West Bank but has been at odds with Hamas for years.

Mr Sinwar also made it clear he rejects the deployment of a multinational force in postwar Gaza to maintain security until legislative and presidential elections are held.

The US, Egypt and Qatar said they are prepared "to present a final bridging proposal that resolves the remaining implementation issues in a manner that meets the expectations of all parties".

"This agreement is based on the principles as outlined by [US] President [Joe] Biden on May 31, 2024, and endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2735," the countries said.

The war in Gaza began on October 7 with a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities. About 39,700 Palestinians, including thousands of women and children, have been killed in Israel's war in Gaza since then, according to the enclave's health authorities.

The only truce in the war, brokered by the same mediators, lasted a week and ended on December 1 after the release of about 100 hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees.

Stalling the momentum

The chances of clinching a deal significantly increased when Hamas softened its conditions last month, dropping its insistence that Israel must commit in writing to a permanent ceasefire at the end of the first phase of the agreement.

But the assassination of Mr Haniyeh stalled the momentum.

“Israel killed the main negotiator, so Hamas replaced him with one of the most extremist figures. 'We will talk to you from the tunnels in Gaza from now on', this is their message,” said one Palestinian diplomat.

The proposal on the table comes in three phases that firstly would comprise “a full and complete ceasefire,” the withdrawal of Israeli forces from “all populated areas of Gaza” and the release of “a number of hostages – including women, the elderly and the wounded – in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners".

The initial phase is expected to last six weeks, during which Israel and Hamas would “negotiate the necessary arrangements” to move to the second phase, which would centre on the “release of all remaining living hostages” in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The final phase would include a “major reconstruction plan for Gaza” and the return of “any final remains of hostages who have been killed” to their families.

Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that Israel will not stop the war until its declared goal of annihilating Hamas has been met. He maintains any deal should allow Israel to continue fighting.

On Friday morning, at least eight Palestinians were killed and others injured in Israeli air strikes on refugee camps in Gaza, Palestinian media reported.

The Israeli military on Thursday ordered another mass evacuation in large areas around the southern city of Khan Younis. Forces are set to being yet another operation in those areas in response to rocket fire. Khan Younis, the second-largest city in the enclave, has already suffered widespread destruction from Israeli air and ground operations this year.

Israeli forces have repeatedly returned to destroyed areas of Gaza for more military operations during the 10 months of war.