Israel has agreed to send negotiators to a new round of talks over a ceasefire and hostage release deal, after a diplomatic push from the United States, Egypt and Qatar. The three nations released a joint statement on Thursday pushing for the talks to take place between Israel and Hamas on 15 August in Doha or Cairo. Hamas is yet to respond.
The statement said a “framework agreement” was ready and that it had “only the details of implementation left to conclude”. The push for new talks will be seen as an attempt by the US and its partners to stop regional tensions from spiralling out of control, after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran last week.
Iran, blaming Israel, has vowed a response – though Israel has not commented directly on the killing. The statement invited Israel and Hamas to restart talks “to close all remaining gaps and commence implementation of the deal without further delay”.
“As mediators, if necessary, we are prepared to present a final bridging proposal that resolves the remaining implementation issues in a manner that meets the expectations of all parties,” it said. The statement was signed by US President Joe Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
It said the “framework agreement” was based on “principles” previously outlined by President Biden on 31 May – which proposed a deal that would start with a full ceasefire and the release of a number of hostages. The UN Security Council endorsed that framework.
Source: BBC
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