Dubai: Israel and Hamas are at odds over the progress of ceasefire talks in Gaza, with top US diplomat Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Sunday.
Blinken’s visit aims to secure a deal that could help avert a wider regional conflict. Despite two days of talks in Doha and reports of progress from US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators, Hamas has dismissed the optimism of a near deal as “an illusion.”
Israel voiced cautious optimism about prospects for a ceasefire after high-level talks with mediators over a new US proposal, placing the onus on Hamas to drop objections.
But Hamas political bureau member Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP: “We are not facing a deal or real negotiations, but rather the imposing of American diktats.”
Making his ninth trip to the Middle East since the Gaza war began with the Palestinian militants’ October 7 attack, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to meet Israeli leaders on Monday before truce talks resume in Cairo.
A framework proposal, laid out by President Joe Biden in late May and later endorsed by the UN Security Council, aims to freeze fighting for an initial six weeks.
This plan includes exchanging Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and allowing humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip. Despite previous optimism, on-and-off truce talks have proven fruitless.
The stakes have heightened following the late July killings of Iran-backed militant leaders, including Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has worsened, with concerns about a potential polio outbreak. On Sunday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of obstructing progress and called for increased pressure on the Palestinian militants ahead of the upcoming talks.
“Hamas remains obstinate and did not even send a representative to the talks in Doha. Therefore, the pressure should be directed at Hamas and Yahya Sinwar, not at the Israeli government,” Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting.
In contrast, Jordan, hostage supporters in Israel, and Hamas have urged pressure on Netanyahu to facilitate reaching an agreement.
