The World Briefly

February 26, 2024

Slow Progress

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Talks for a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will continue in Qatar, according to Egyptian state media, following a framework formulated in France over the weekend between negotiators from Egypt, Qatar, the United States, Israel and Hamas representatives, the Times of Israel reported Sunday.

Over the weekend, delegates agreed on a framework to pause the fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian enclave that has been raging since October, as well as secure the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza.

Under the framework, Hamas will release around 40 hostages, including women, children, elderly and ill individuals, who were abducted when the armed group attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7.

In return, Israel will secure the release of hundreds of Palestinian terror convicts and the return of Palestinian women and children in northern Gaza – from where hundreds of thousands were evacuated during the fighting. The Israeli government will order a “redeployment” of troops within Gaza – but not a complete withdrawal as Hamas had previously demanded.

Egypt’s Al-Qahera News reported that the upcoming Qatar talks are a “continuation of what was discussed in Paris” and “will be followed by meetings in Cairo.”

While some progress has been made in the negotiations, significant points of contention remain unresolved, including discussions on the rehabilitation of Gaza and the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for the hostages.

Hamas has yet to respond to the outline reportedly formulated in Paris, but observers explained that the draft largely matches its earlier demands for the first phase of a truce.

Meanwhile, negotiators are under pressure to reach an agreement before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which commences around March 10. Israel has indicated that if a deal is not reached soon, it may expand its offensive into Rafah.

Families of hostages are closely monitoring these developments with a mix of hope and anguish, as they await news of their loved ones. Over the weekend, hostage relatives and their supporters launched demonstrations across a number of Israeli cities to demand the return of their family members, the Journal reported separately.

Around 130 hostages remain in the region – not all of them alive.

Amid the ongoing talks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stirred controversy this week after he presented a blueprint for postwar Gaza, proposing a model of local Palestinian administration without affiliations to militant groups, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The plan envisions a demilitarized Gaza with a heavy Israeli security presence and control of Gaza’s perimeter, notably differing from the proposals by the US and Arab governments.

Analysts explained Netanyahu’s proposal underscores the growing tensions between Israel and the Biden administration, the latter of which has backed Israel’s war goals in Gaza but warned repeatedly against making changes in its territorial boundaries.

Separately, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Friday a reversal of the previous Trump administration’s position on Israeli settlements in the West Bank, declaring them “inconsistent with international law,” the Washington Post added.

The reversal came in response to reports that Israel’s far-right government was planning the further expansion of settlements in the occupied territory.

Some officials noted that Blinken’s announcement reflects growing US discomfort with Israeli actions in Gaza and the West Bank, amid intensified violence since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks.

This story originally appeared in the February 26, 2024 newsletter, Swimming With Crocodiles.