The C.I.A. director met with high Qatari and Egyptian officers on Wednesday because the Biden administration launched a renewed push for a cease-fire in Gaza, although Israel and Hamas appeared to stay far aside on the most recent proposal to pause the combating.
The U.S. spy chief, William J. Burns, met in Doha, Qatar, with the Qatari prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and the Egyptian intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, in keeping with an official briefed on the matter, who spoke on the situation of anonymity to debate the closed-door encounter.
Egypt and Qatar have been key mediators within the talks between Israel and Hamas, which don’t discuss straight to one another. By dispatching Mr. Burns, the Biden administration signaled that it was nonetheless investing closely in making an attempt to dealer a cease-fire to finish the bloodshed in Gaza and calm broader regional tensions.
The assembly targeted on discovering methods to convey Israel and Hamas nearer to an settlement, in keeping with the official, who stated that Qatar had obtained preliminary constructive suggestions from Hamas to a cease-fire proposal endorsed final week by President Biden, however was nonetheless ready to obtain a proper response.
On Wednesday, the Qatari prime minister and Mr. Kamel additionally met with Hamas leaders to debate the proposal, the official briefed on the talks stated.
Mr. Biden described the proposal as a brand new Israeli provide that might start with a six-week halt in combating and finally result in the “cessation of hostilities completely,” elevating hopes amongst Israelis and Palestinians {that a} deal to finish the practically eight-month conflict was lastly imminent. However because the president went public with the provide, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has repeatedly rejected ending the conflict with out first destroying Hamas’s governing and army capabilities.
On Wednesday, a senior Hamas official repeated the group’s place that it will not comply with any deal that didn’t present for a everlasting cease-fire. The official, Bassem Naim, stated that “it doesn’t make sense” for the group to barter whereas Israeli forces launch recent assaults in Gaza, and stated Hamas wouldn’t settle for a brief truce.
“The thirsty will drink a bit and the hungry will eat a bit, after which after a month and a half we’ll return to being killed?” he stated.
The official briefed on the assembly in Qatar stated that current statements by Mr. Netanyahu and different Israeli officers have made Hamas officers query whether or not Israel desires a everlasting halt within the combating.
A spokesman for the Qatari Overseas Ministry, Majed al-Ansari, stated on Tuesday that it was “ready for a transparent Israeli place that represents the complete authorities.”
Amid the general public disagreements, Mr. Burns’ keep in Doha wasn’t anticipated to result in main progress, stated a second individual briefed on the negotiations, who spoke on situation of anonymity to debate the delicate diplomacy. Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas chief in Gaza and the presumed mastermind of the Oct. 7 terrorist assault on southern Israel, nonetheless needed to weigh in on the most recent proposal, that individual stated.
Brett McGurk, the White Home’s Center East coordinator, was additionally returning to the area this week for conferences in Cairo, a U.S. official stated.
Jake Sullivan, the U.S. nationwide safety adviser, stated on Wednesday that the proposal outlined by Mr. Biden was “nonetheless a dwell proposal,” though Mr. Netanyahu has not publicly endorsed it and two of his ministers have stated they might oppose any deal that leaves Hamas intact.
“Israel is a raucous democracy, so there’s quite a lot of discuss and quite a lot of chatter,” Mr. Sullivan stated in an interview on NBC’s “Right now” present. “However the Israeli authorities has reconfirmed repeatedly, as just lately as right this moment, that that proposal remains to be on the desk and now it’s as much as Hamas to simply accept it. And the entire world ought to name on Hamas to simply accept it.”
The primary section of the proposal laid out by Mr. Biden referred to as for each side to look at a brief six-week cease-fire whereas they proceed to barter to succeed in a everlasting one. In a gathering with Israeli lawmakers on Monday, Mr. Netanyahu expressed openness to a 42-day pause within the combating, embracing at the least a part of the primary section of the three-part plan described by Mr. Biden, in keeping with an individual who attended the dialogue.
At a information convention on Tuesday, Osama Hamdan, a Hamas spokesman, stated the latest Israeli place communicated to the group didn’t embody a everlasting cease-fire or an entire withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, each phrases that Hamas has insisted on. Israel, Mr. Hamdan stated, was excited about solely a brief cease-fire to free hostages, and would then resume the conflict.
“We name on the mediators to get a transparent place from the Israeli occupation,” he stated.
Raja Abdulrahim contributed reporting.
