Negotiators are currently in the Egyptian capital Cairo to make a renewed push to end fighting in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages, the latest in a series of faltering efforts to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Rising tensions between Israel and Iran have renewed the urgency of ending the 10-month war. Iran has threatened Israel with retaliatory strikes since several members of Iranian-backed militant groups were killed in Tehran over the past few weeks, including Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.
The Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah said overnight it had carried out the first phase of its retaliatory strikes for the killing of a senior commander, but said the attacks had no impact on the talks.
Here’s what we know:
What happens? Hamas Representative arrived in the Egyptian capital on Saturday evening, where negotiators from Israel, the United States, Egypt and Qatar were holding talks. The delegation will get an update from the mediators on the status of the negotiations, Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas' political bureau, said in a statement on Saturday. Israeli negotiators will also attend.
What's on the table? US President Joe Biden first presented a three-stage peace plan in May that includes the release of hostages and a “complete ceasefire”. The White House is pushing to push through the deal and has previously insisted that Israel has accepted it. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says fundamental questions remain unanswered.
What are the main sticking points? Significant disagreements remain between the two sides. Israel has made it clear that after the first six-week period, a pause in fighting could be just a pause, and it is not prepared to agree to a permanent ceasefire. Hamas has indicated that it is unhappy with the latest proposal because it does not include a permanent ceasefire and introduces new prisoner exchange terms. Another major point of contention is the future of the Philadelphia Corridor in southern Gaza. Israel has demanded to retain control of the border zone, while Hamas has said Israeli troops must withdraw from the area.
Is a deal likely? The US is optimistic about the latest phase of the negotiations. Biden said last week: “We are closer than ever.” But the talks have been going on for months and there are still major differences to overcome. Haniyeh has played a central role in the talks for Hamas, while Netanyahu is under pressure from the hostages' families to reach an agreement and from his cabinet to defeat Hamas.
