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US-Israel Meeting Produces Optimism 08/18 06:15
A marathon meeting Monday between U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner and Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left the fate of the Gaza ceasefire unclear,
with officials signaling moderate optimism but offering no concrete commitment
by Israel to the latest U.S.-proposed plan.
JERUSALEM (AP) -- A marathon meeting Monday between U.S. negotiator Jared
Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left the fate of the Gaza
ceasefire unclear, with officials signaling moderate optimism but offering no
concrete commitment by Israel to the latest U.S.-proposed plan.
Hamas has already agreed to the proposal. American negotiators appeared to
acquiesce to Israeli demands that Hamas disarmament must come before any
reconstruction of the devastated Palestinian enclave. They did not publicly
signal that Israel had made any commitments to withdraw from the 60% of Gaza
that Israeli troops currently occupy.
That's a major sticking point in the plan and one that Hamas had pressed
negotiators to compel Israel to fulfill prior to the meeting. The talks came
days after Netanyahu rejected the 15-point, U.S.-backed road map to move the
ceasefire deal forward, saying there would be no withdrawal without disarmament.
A day earlier, Kushner met for two hours with Hamas' leader in Egypt.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the director of the
U.S.-created Board of Peace, Nickolay Mladenov, were also in the meeting with
Netanyahu, according to a source familiar with the plans and a diplomatic
source. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a closed-door meeting.
At stake are the lives of some 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, rebuilding
plans and future control over the territory.
Netanyahu says talks were 'deep and constructive'
In a statement, Netanyahu's office said the talks were "deep and
constructive." Israel and the board agreed to establish two working groups --
one on the disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza and another focused on
public health issues for Gaza.
Israel and the board agreed that the demilitarization "should be prompt and
completed before any reconstruction," the statement said.
A Board of Peace official said they also agreed that the demilitarization
must include "every weapon, light and heavy, and every tunnel." The official
spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door meeting.
"Backed by President Donald Trump, the parties share clear goals: a fully
demilitarized and deradicalized Gaza that poses no threat to Israel, and where
Gazans can pursue prosperity and dignity peacefully," the official said.
Another Board of Peace official said the meeting was "very productive" and
resulted in agreement on "a path forward."
"The Israelis are going to give this a chance. Now it's up to Hamas to show
if it truly intends to comply," said the official, who also spoke on condition
of anonymity.
Asked if Israel had committed to the U.S. plan for Gaza, a spokesperson for
Mladenov said it was a "work in progress."
Meeting followed Kushner's conversation with Hamas
Kushner, who is Trump's son-in-law, met Sunday with Hamas chief Khalil
al-Hayya in Cairo on disarmament, according to a regional official and a Hamas
official, who both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not
authorized to talk to reporters.
Officials from mediating countries Egypt, Qatar and Turkey also were there.
The Hamas official said the Hamas leader demanded that Israel halt its
attacks on Gaza and withdraw to the so-called "yellow line" dividing the
territory before beginning implementation.
The yellow line was never precisely defined. Israeli forces have moved
beyond it and now control about 60% of Gaza. In May, Netanyahu said the next
step was to move to 70% control, with Israel "tightening the grip" on Hamas
"from every direction."
Several regional powers including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
issued a statement Sunday condemning Israel's rejection of the road map. They
said Israel "now bears responsibility for obstructing the efforts to bring
peace in Gaza." Other signers included Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia and the
ceasefire mediators.
The foreign ministers' statement called on the Board of Peace and the U.S.
to take "immediate and concrete measures" to keep any party from obstructing
the plan's implementation.
Talks spark hope and doubt in Gaza
While some in Gaza hope that efforts to implement the road map will bring an
end to the war sparked by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7,
2023, others are skeptical.
Mohammad Abu al-Qombuz cast doubt on all talks and visits currently taking
place.
"A conference here and there, it is all lies. We need a definitive solution
that would work for everybody," said Abu al-Qombuz, who lives in a Gaza City
tent camp, part of the territory's vast displaced population.
Under the road map, Hamas would hand over weapons to the Palestinian
technocratic committee meant to oversee daily operations in the territory. The
committee has not yet entered Gaza.
But Hamas has linked the surrender of its heaviest weapons to the creation
of a Palestinian state, and the road map entails the creation of a "credible
pathway toward achieving Palestinian self-determination and statehood,"
something Israel's current government rejects.
Until the road map is agreed to, other elements of the ceasefire are on
hold, including reconstruction and the deployment of international forces to
separate Israeli forces from committee-controlled areas.
Netanyahu faces a challenging election on Oct. 27 as he tries to hold onto
power with a coalition that includes ministers taking a harsh line on Gaza, and
it's not clear whether he will take decisive steps on the ceasefire before then.
Also coming up is the anniversary of the 2023 attack.
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