Negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza seem to be on the right track
Negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza seem to be on the right track, at least in the opinion of the United States.
The U.S. government assured this Wednesday, March 27, that there has been “progress” in the negotiations to achieve a cease-fire.
The negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza would be in exchange for an exchange of hostages, in response to reports that they are stalled.
“We believe that over the past week and into this weekend, real progress was made toward reaching an agreement,” said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
Miller, however, acknowledged that “some of the outstanding issues that need to be resolved are some of the most difficult and are areas where there is the most disagreement between Israel and Hamas.”
“When you get to the end (of a negotiation), when you make progress, the issues that remain are often the most difficult; usually you don’t resolve the most difficult issues first, you resolve them at the end,” he added.
The Negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza are moving forward according to the U.S., but that does not appear to be entirely true.
CNN, citing unnamed diplomatic sources, claimed that Israel has withdrawn its negotiating team from Doha after Hamas reportedly rejected a proposal put forward by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Bill Burns.
READ MORE: FOR MILEI: LÓPEZ OBRADOR IS AN IGNORAMUS.
Negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza
Miller insisted that the U.S. government is by no means closing negotiations and assured that his government “will continue to try to bridge the differences” between the parties.
The United States is advocating a multi-week cease-fire that would allow for an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners and allow for a lasting end to hostilities to be negotiated.
To that end, the parties had intensified negotiations, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, on a six-week suspension of the Israeli offensive in exchange for the proposed release of 40 of the 130 hostages the Palestinian group continues to hold in Gaza.
There have been several attempts to allow cease-fire negotiations in Gaza, but so far no major results have been achieved.
Hamas has tried to make any agreement entail an end to the fighting and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. The Jewish state has ruled this out, stating that it will resume its efforts to dismantle the Hamas government and military capabilities.
The militant group also wants hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled Gaza City and surrounding areas to the south during the first phase of the nearly six-month war to be able to return to the north.
READ HERE: PRISONER EXCHANGE WITH HAMAS PROPOSED.
Hamas has accused Israel of dragging its feet on the talks as it carries out its military offensive.
The talks continue as a humanitarian crisis plagues Palestinians in Gaza with severe shortages of food, medicine and hospital care.
On Tuesday, Israel had branded as “delusional” the demands of Hamas, which is demanding a “comprehensive” ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the enclave, to seal a deal.
The conflict has recently escalated with a bombing by the Israeli Army against the Islamic Medical Society in Hebbariye, southern Lebanon, leaving at least seven people dead.
This attack is part of the ongoing clashes between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militia-party Hezbollah, linked to the invasion of the Gaza Strip.
The world is watching closely to see whether or not negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza will be successful in bringing an end to this conflict.
