Israel’s latest attempt to alter the terms of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has added another layer of complexity to the ongoing efforts to secure a deal. For months, Israel and the terrorist group Hamas have been engaged in indirect negotiations facilitated by Qatar and Egypt, with support from the United States. While the signing of the agreement has been repeatedly touted as imminent, persistent sticking points have prevented any concrete progress. The proposed framework, outlined by US President Joe Biden in May, envisions a three-stage approach to ending the conflict.
The initial stage would involve a six-week ceasefire during which Hamas would release a specific group of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. This stage would also mark the commencement of talks aimed at achieving a permanent end to the war. In the second stage, a permanent cessation of hostilities would be reached, and displaced Palestinians would be allowed to return to their homes. The final stage would focus on reconstruction efforts in war-ravaged Gaza.
However, according to Reuters, Israel has sought to introduce at least two modifications to the second stage of the proposed agreement. Citing four officials from countries involved in the talks, the news agency reported that Israel has advocated for a screening process for Palestinians returning from southern Gaza to their homes in the northern regions, instead of permitting their return without any checks as originally proposed. Furthermore, the agency revealed that Israel has also rejected the notion of relinquishing control over the ‘Philadelphi Corridor’.
Previously, the terms of the deal under discussion included the return of Palestinians from southern Gaza to the north without any restrictions. An estimated 1.9 million out of Gaza’s approximate 2.2 million population have been displaced over the course of nine months of conflict, according to the United Nations (UN). The majority of these displaced individuals have sought refuge in southern Gaza, having been forced to flee from central and northern areas of the Palestinian enclave due to months of intense fighting.
In the latest round of negotiations, Israel has asserted that these displaced Palestinians returning to their homes from the south should be subject to screening procedures to ensure that no terrorists affiliated with Hamas or other groups escape, reported Reuters, quoting a Western official, a Palestinian source, and two Egyptian sources. The Western official told the agency that Israeli negotiators have demanded a “vetting mechanism for civilian populations returning to the north of Gaza, where they fear these populations could support” Hamas terrorists who may still be present in northern Gaza. The Palestinian and Egyptian sources informed the agency that Hamas, the terrorist group that has controlled and governed Gaza since 2007, has rejected the Israeli demand.
The second point of contention revolves around Israel’s insistence on retaining control of the ‘Philadelphi Corridor’. This corridor refers to the eight-mile-long (approximately 12.8 kilometers) strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border. Currently, Israel maintains control of the corridor and has argued that it is essential for preventing cross-border smuggling of terrorists, weapons, and ammunition. The agency reported that Egypt has dismissed Israel’s stance as incompatible with the framework of the proposed agreement.