Foto:UNIAN, depositphotos, REUTERS
Israel and Hamas reached a preliminary agreement on the main terms of the plan for the peaceful resolution of the conflict in the Gaza Strip. David Ignatius, columnist of the Washington Post newspaper, reports this with reference to high-ranking American sources, as well as to the Israeli Channel 9.
According to a representative of the US administration, the parties have “agreed on the framework” and are discussing the details. However, as other US officials explained to the publication, this does not mean that the agreement will be signed immediately. The details of the plan’s implementation are “very complex” and will take time to agree.
“Middle East adviser Brett McGurk and CIA director William Burns have been commuting between regional capitals since November to broker a deal,” the author notes.
In the author’s opinion, both sides are motivated to stop hostilities: Israel wants to prepare for a possible confrontation with Iran and Hezbollah, and Hamas is experiencing serious difficulties after a long period of hiding in underground storage facilities, including shortages of food and ammunition.
The Washington Post calls Israel’s preliminary agreement to transfer power in the post-war Gaza Strip to a neutral third party the main one of the issues agreed upon. This is the interim government that will govern the enclave while the second phase of the future agreement is implemented. Hamas pledges to release the remaining hostages, both sides will agree to a “final cessation of hostilities” with “the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.”
“will be made up of 2,500 supporters of the Palestinian Authority already vetted by Israel.”
Security in the sector during this period will be provided by forces trained by the United States with the support of liberal Arab countries. This force
Hamas has already notified mediators of its readiness to hand over power to an interim government, a US official said.
The peace plan calls for a third phase, which the UN resolution describes as a “multi-year recovery plan.” We will remind that on May 31, US President Joe Biden announced the terms of a new draft agreement on a peaceful settlement in Gaza, which consists of three stages.
The first phase is designed for six weeks and involves a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from populated areas, the release of Hamas hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons. The second phase involves the release of all hostages, including military personnel, the third phase is the restoration of the Gaza Strip and the transfer of the remains of the dead Israelis to their relatives.
Israel has repeatedly declared its support for Biden’s proposal, claiming that representatives of Hamas are obstructing the conclusion of the agreement. As previously reported, the White House national security spokesman, John Kirby, said that the US hopes to reach an agreement on a ceasefire in exchange for the prisoners.
“We are cautiously optimistic that things are moving in the right direction,” Kirby said in an interview with CNN. “There are still differences between the two sides, but we think they can be bridged, and that’s what McGurk and Burns are trying to do right now.”
Source: Channel 9
