Ceasefire Talks in Danger as US Prepares New Gaza Peace Plan: Report

The White House is urgently working on a new proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas, according to multiple U.S. and Egyptian officials and sources familiar with the matter. The new plan aims to resolve key sticking points that have stalled months of talks between Israel and Hamas to broker a ceasefire brokered by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt.

On Wednesday, a senior Biden administration official told Reuters that much of the deal had been completed. Still, two critical issues remain unresolved: Israel’s insistence on maintaining a military presence in the Philadelphi Corridor, a strategic buffer zone along Gaza’s border with Egypt, and disagreements over specific individuals to be included in a possible hostage exchange.

The proposal is expected to be ready next week or possibly earlier, and one U.S. official said a revised draft could be released as early as this weekend. “What we feel is that time is running out,” the official said, reflecting the urgency felt by negotiators.

Hamas’ killing of six hostages and the return of their bodies to Israel over the weekend has intensified pressure on all sides. CIA Director William Burns is leading a US negotiating team that includes senior officials such as White House Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The situation remains fluid, with five Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Authority, rejecting Israel’s demand for a troop presence in the Philadelphia Corridor. Talks are ongoing, but the first phase of any agreement would require Israel to withdraw from densely populated areas, including the corridor.