Jerusalem: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to the American 'bridging proposal' on the release of hostages after a three-hour meeting with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jerusalem. "The Prime Minister reiterated Israel's commitment to the current American proposal on the release of our hostages, which takes into account Israel's security needs, which he strongly insists on," Netanyahu's Office said in a statement this week.
The statement marked the first time Netanyahu publicly endorsed the latest US formula. Blinken termed his meeting with Netanyahu a "very constructive" one and said that the Israeli Prime Minister has confirmed to him that Israel accepts the bridging proposal.
"It's now incumbent on Hamas to do the same. And then the parties, with the help of the mediators – the United States, Egypt, and Qatar – have to come together and complete the process of reaching clear understandings about how they'll implement the commitments that they've made under this agreement," he said.
"But the next important step is for Hamas to say yes and then, in the coming days, for all of the expert negotiators to get together to work on clear understandings on implementing the agreement," Blinken added.
Last week, Israel had cautiously welcomed the new US proposal. The Prime Minister's office had then said that the proposal "contains components that are acceptable to Israel". The US proposal enables the finalizing of a hostages-for-ceasefire deal by the end of this week.
What did Hamas say?
Hamas has rejected the US formula. In its statement, the group charged that Netanyahu "sets new conditions and demands" to thwart the talks and prolong the war in Gaza. It further claimed that the latest US-backed text was aligned with Israel's demands.
It accused Netanyahu of "being fully responsible" for the mediators' failure, obstructing an agreement, and endangering Israeli hostages by "continuing his aggressive actions against Gaza".
The group also called US President Joe Biden's statements about the movement backing away from the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip "misleading". It said that it viewed Biden's claims with "great astonishment and disapproval", noting that they "do not reflect the true position of the movement, which is keen to reach a cessation of aggression".
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Israel-Hamas war: Top developments >> US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is traveling to Egypt and Qatar to hold discussions with the top leadership on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. >> Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has said he expects the US-led coalition countries to join Israel not only in defense but also in attack against significant targets in Iran in case Iran attacks Israel. >> At least 52 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip, including 12 at a Gaza City school and nine at a crowded market area in Deir el-Balah, Al Jazeera website reported on August 21. >> Hezbollah fired 75 rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights this week, sparking fires and prompting authorities to instruct tens of thousands of residents to remain indoors. |
