U.S., Egypt, Qatar call on Israel and Hamas to resume cease-fire talks
Aug. 8 (UPI) — The United States, Egypt and Qatar are calling on Israel and Hamas to return to the negotiating table on a cease-fire agreement that U.S. officials have been saying is near completion.
The trio of countries is brokering talks on a cease-fire and hostage-release deal in the more than 300-day war between Israel and the Iran-backed militia. Urgency is mounting for it to get done as fears of an expanding war in the Middle East rise over Iranian threats to attack Israel for the assassinations of Tehran proxy leaders in Lebanon and Iran.
“There is no further time to waste nor excuses from any party for further delay,” the three countries said in a statement distributed by the White House. “It is time to release the hostages, begin the ceasefire and implement this agreement.”
They said a framework agreement they “worked tirelessly over many months to forge” has been tabled with only implementation details left to conclude, and they will present a final bridging proposal to resolve differences if necessary.
They are calling on both sides to resume “urgent discussion” on Aug. 15 in either Doha or Cairo in order to “close all remaining gaps and commence implementation of the deal without further delay.”
“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,” they said.
UPI has asked Israel for comment, though the office of President Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly agreed to participate. Hamas has yet to comment.
The three-phase cease-fire deal was first detailed by President Joe Biden in late May and has been endorsed by the United Nations.
The deal would bring about an initial six-week cease-fire in the war, which began Oct. 7 after Hamas led a bloody and merciless attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw another 251 taken hostage.
Under the first phase, a number of the 115 Israelis who remain in Hamas captivity would be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The second phase is a permanent end to hostilities and the release of more hostages and prisoners. The third phase includes the release of all dead hostages held by Hamas and the commencement of major reconstruction plan for Gaza, which has been razed by the war.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health, which does not differentiate between civilian and Hamas fighters, states nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed and another nearly 92,000 have been wounded.
Prospects of achieving a cease-fire have been threated by recent assassinations of commander Fuad Shukr of Hezbollah on July 30 in Lebanon and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran the following day. Hezbollah has been attacking Israel since the start of the war in solidarity with Hamas.
Iran has vowed to retaliate against Israel but has also said the establishment of a cease-fire in Gaza is a priority alongside achieving retribution.
Over the last few days, Biden administration officials have been publicizing that the agreement is almost done and that they have been working to prevent Iran’s retaliatory attack, with John Kirby, Biden’s National Security Communications advisor, stating Wednesday they are “as close as we think we have ever been” in securing a cease-fire.
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