U.S., Egypt and Qatar call for "urgent talks" next week to reach Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal
The leaders of the U.S., Egypt and Qatar called for Israel and Hamas to resume cease-fire talks next week in either Doha or Cairo, and early Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that Israel would take part in those discussions.
In a joint statement, President Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Qatar's Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani urged both parties "to resume urgent discussion" on Aug. 15 "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 statement said, urging Israel and Hamas to refrain from further delays. "The time has come to conclude the ceasefire and hostages and detainees release deal."
The U.S., Egypt and Qatar have been mediating the previous cease-fire discussions. Thursday's joint statement came hours after the White House said Israel-Hamas cease-fire talks are "close" and amid fears of a widening Middle East war following high-profile assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.
The framework agreement on the table is based on the principles outlined by President Biden on May 31 and endorsed by U.N. Security Council Resolution 2735, the statement said.
Israel launched a rare airstrike on Lebanon's capital of Beirut on July 30, killing Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, a close advisor to Hezbollah's secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah. A day later, the longtime chairman of Hamas' political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated at his guesthouse in Tehran — Iran blames Israel — hours after attending the inauguration of incoming Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian.
If cease-fire talks go ahead according to the proposed timeline, CIA Director William Burns is expected to travel and take part for the U.S.
Netanyahu's office said in a statement early Friday that Israel would send its "negotiations team to a place to be determined in order to finalize the details of the implementation of the framework agreement" on the proposed date.
Haniyeh was Hamas' lead negotiator in cease-fire negotiations with Israel, the U.S., Qatar and Egypt. His negotiation role seems to have fallen to Yahya Sinwar, who is now the leader of Hamas' political wing and allegedly masterminded Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. Sinwar is believed to be in hiding in Gaza's underground tunnels.
In a call with reporters on Thursday, a National Security Council official noted that if the Aug. 15 talks do happen, an agreement likely wouldn't be reached immediately.
"It's not like the agreement is going to be ready to be signed on Thursday, there's still a significant amount of work to do. But we do believe that what's left here really can be bridged," the official said.
"We're fairly confident, and I base this on our consultations not only with the Israelis, but also the Egyptians and the Qataris, that there's a way forward here," the official added. "But also, more importantly, there needs to be a way forward here."
"We are as close as we think we have ever been," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Wednesday, referencing the cease-fire talks. "The gaps are narrow enough that they can be closed. What we're talking about here is recognizing the fact that we've come an awful long way."
However, longtime former Israeli negotiator Gershon Baskin told CBS News in Jerusalem, "I have no idea where it's coming from."
"Seems detached from reality but maybe they know something that we don't," he said.
On whether the White House's comment could be an attempt at applying public pressure on Netanyahu to agree to a deal, Baskin said, "could be, behind the scenes the Americans are pushing hard," but added, "I don't think Netanyahu cares. He's against Biden."
U.S.-Israel ties have frayed this year with Israel's continued military campaign in Gaza. Nearly 40,000 people have been killed in the enclave since Oct. 7, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu again spoke unwaveringly of military action, while visiting a military base for drafting soldiers.
"We are moving forward to victory," he told recruits. "We are prepared for both defense and attack, we strike at our enemies and are also determined to defend ourselves."
Days earlier, Netanyahu said Israel is already in a "multi-front war."
"There is likely not to be much progress (on a cease-fire) unless Netanyahu changes his course," said Baskin "or unless, of course, they find and kill Sinwar."
Israel considers Sinwar public enemy No. 1. Understood to be in his early 60s, he has had a long history of fighting Israel. In the late 1980s he became known as the "Butcher of Khan Younis" after killing a dozen people believed to be collaborating with Israel. He was sentenced to four life sentences and organized strikes in prison for better living conditions. In 2011, Netanyahu released him as part of a prisoner swap for a hostage Israeli solider. Sinwar then rose through Hamas' ranks and in 2017 became the group's head in Gaza.
Now, following Sinwar's elevation to head of Hamas' political wing following the death of Haniyeh, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has put public pressure on Sinwar, saying the power has now fallen to him to seal a cease-fire deal in the Israel-Hamas war.