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William J. Burns, the CIA director, was expected to arrive in Doha, Qatar, this week for talks with regional officials on reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, according to a U.S. official who spoke spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the situation. journey of the spy chief.
The trip to the Gulf country by Burns, the top US negotiator, comes amid renewed efforts to negotiate a deal to end fighting and free hostages in Gaza after months of failed attempts. Brett McGurk, the White House Middle East coordinator, was also returning to the region this week for meetings in Cairo, a second U.S. official said.
A speech from President Biden Last week, in outlining the terms of what he said was a new Israeli offer, he raised hopes among Israelis and Palestinians that a deal to end the nearly eight-month war was finally imminent. But statements from Israeli and Hamas officials in recent days suggest that a decisive breakthrough remains elusive.
One of the biggest disputes between Israel and Hamas concerns whether a ceasefire agreement would lead to a lasting truce. Mr. Biden said Israel’s proposal would ultimately lead to “a definitive cessation of hostilities,” comments that were welcomed by Hamas. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to end the war without first destroying Hamas’ government and military capabilities.
Qatar, the main mediator between the two parties, “waits for a clear Israeli position that represents the entire government,” a spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, Majed al-Ansari, said on Tuesday.
The first phase of the proposal presented by Mr. Biden called on both sides to observe a temporary six-week ceasefire, while continuing negotiations to reach a permanent ceasefire.
At a news conference Tuesday, Osama Hamdan, Hamas spokesman, said the most recent Israeli position communicated to the group did not include a permanent ceasefire or a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. , two terms that Hamas insisted on. . Israel, Mr. Hamdan said, is only interested in a temporary ceasefire to free the hostages and then resume the war.
He said Hamas had informed mediators that the group could not approve a deal that does not include a permanent ceasefire, a full withdrawal of Israeli troops and a “serious and real agreement” to exchange Palestinian prisoners. against hostages.
“We call on the mediators to obtain a clear position from the Israeli occupation,” he said.
