The international community’s quest for a ceasefire in the protracted Gaza conflict continues, despite numerous rounds of negotiations failing to yield a breakthrough. Qatar’s foreign ministry announced on Tuesday that efforts to forge a truce remain “ongoing,” following several rounds of talks that concluded without any significant progress.
Months of behind-the-scenes negotiations, facilitated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, have failed to halt the conflict between Hamas and Israel, with the exception of a one-week truce implemented in late November. Recent mediation efforts in Doha and Cairo have been anchored in a framework proposed by US President Joe Biden in May and a “bridging proposal” presented to the warring parties in August.
Despite these ongoing diplomatic initiatives, both Israel and Hamas have publicly signaled a deeper entrenchment in their negotiating positions. This suggests a potential stalemate in the efforts to reach a ceasefire.
The US State Department announced on Monday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken would embark on a trip to Egypt this week to “discuss ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire.” This will mark his tenth visit to the region since the Gaza war commenced on October 7th.
Following in-person talks in Egypt and Qatar last month, which concluded without a definitive agreement, Washington indicated that mediators are preparing to present a revised framework for a ceasefire. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated on Monday that Washington is working “expeditiously” on a new proposal.
While Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, declined to comment on whether any new proposal has been conveyed to Israel or Hamas, he expressed hope for a resolution.
Meanwhile, Hamas reported that its delegation met with Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Doha last week to discuss a potential truce and the possibility of hostage and prisoner exchanges. However, no breakthrough was achieved during these discussions.
The pressure for a resolution within Israel has intensified after authorities announced the deaths of six hostages at the beginning of September, following the recovery of their bodies from a Gaza tunnel. Despite the external calls for an agreement, both Israel and Hamas have signaled a deeper entrenchment in their negotiating positions.
On Tuesday, Israel announced an expansion of its war aims, extending its fight against Hamas in Gaza to include Hezbollah along its northern border with Lebanon.
The conflict, which began on October 7th with a Palestinian militant attack on southern Israel, has resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, primarily civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Militants also seized 251 hostages, 97 of whom remain held in Gaza, including 33 individuals the Israeli military has declared dead.
Israel’s retaliatory military offensive has resulted in the deaths of at least 41,252 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The ministry does not provide a detailed breakdown of civilian and militant casualties.
