PNN – An American media announced that in recent days, the administration of President Joe Biden has presented new proposals for parts of the hostage release and ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in order to resolve the differences between them and reach an agreement.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, Axios website reported on Saturday local time, quoting three informed sources: The new effort is based on Israel’s proposal, which was approved by the war cabinet of this regime and presented by US President Joe Biden in a speech last month.
The Biden administration continues to seek a three-phase agreement that would lead to the release of the remaining 120 prisoners held by Hamas and the establishment of lasting peace in Gaza, where more than 37,700 Palestinians have been killed by Israel.
The three sources said that the American effort, along with the Qatari and Egyptian mediators, is focused on Article 8 of this proposal.
This part of the agreement is related to the negotiations that are supposed to begin in the first phase of the agreement between Israel and Hamas to prepare the exact conditions of the second phase, which includes achieving a “lasting peace” in Gaza.
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This American media quoted these sources as saying that Hamas wants these negotiations to focus only on the number and identity of Palestinian prisoners who will be released from Israeli prisons in exchange for every Israeli soldier or hostage alive in Gaza.
On the other hand, Israel wants to have the ability to raise the issue of the lack of military power in Gaza and other issues in these negotiations.
Axios quoted these sources as saying that American officials have prepared a new draft for Article 8 to resolve this dispute between Israel and Hamas, and have asked Qatar and Egypt to pressure Hamas to accept the new proposal.
A source familiar with the negotiations told Axios: America is trying hard to find a formula to reach an agreement. Another source said that if Hamas agrees to the new offer presented by the US, “a deal will be reached.”
Following Biden’s plan, the resolution proposed by the United States to establish a ceasefire in Gaza and release prisoners was approved with 14 positive votes and one abstention (Russia) and without any dissenting votes at the meeting of the UN Security Council on June 10, 2024.
The approval of this resolution came while during the past eight months, the United States, with its firm support for Israel, prevented the approval of any resolution establishing a ceasefire in Gaza and condemning Hamas for the military operation of Al-Aqsa Storm on October 7, 2023, and working with Israel to defeat this movement.
The resolution states: It welcomes the new ceasefire proposal announced on May 31, which Israel accepted, and calls on Hamas to accept it as well, and calls on both sides to fully implement its terms without delay.