Blinken Calls for Immediate Ceasefire, Urges Hamas to Accept US ‘Bridging Proposal’

Rabat – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, urging Hamas to accept a US-brokered “bridging proposal” aimed at ending the brutal Israeli war on Gaza. 

Speaking during his Middle East tour, Blinken said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to the proposal, and he stressed the need for all parties to finalize the details within days to prevent further bloodshed.

“This needs to get done in the coming days,” Blinken told reporters in Doha following his meeting with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim today.

However, significant hurdles remain, particularly surrounding the presence of Israeli forces in Gaza and conditions for Palestinian civilians.

The US proposal aims to address unresolved issues that have stalled previous ceasefire efforts, particularly Israel’s desire to maintain a military presence in Gaza and Hamas’s demand for a complete withdrawal. 

While Israel publicly accepted the new US plan, Hamas has rejected it, labeling the proposal as a tactic to buy time for Israel to continue its offensive. 

Hamas insists on a return to the terms of a previous ceasefire proposal backed by US President Joe Biden in May and endorsed by the UN Security Council. The proposal called for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Central to the ongoing ceasefire negotiations is Israel’s reluctance to agree to a permanent ceasefire. Netanyahu has insisted on maintaining the option to resume “military operations” in Gaza after the retrieval of Israeli captives held by Hamas. 

However, even within Israel, there is skepticism about Netanyahu’s stated goal of completely destroying Hamas, with some security officials deeming it unrealistic.

Another critical issue is the status of the Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow strip of land separating Gaza from Egypt. Hamas demands the withdrawal of Israeli forces from this area, while Netanyahu insists on retaining troops to purportedly prevent arms smuggling. This position has also drawn opposition from Egypt, which has traditionally played a mediating role in Gaza.

The potential for a ceasefire is further complicated by the issue of captives. Hamas has indicated that it is willing to negotiate their release but insists on an Israeli troop withdrawal as part of the deal. 

Netanyahu’s conditions, however, have made such an agreement increasingly unlikely.