Biden warns ‘no one in the region should take action to undermine’ Gaza deal talks

Senior Hamas official: US bridging proposal aligns with Israeli conditions for deal

A senior Hamas official says the US ceasefire proposal aimed at bridging the gaps between Israel and Hamas aligns with the new demands Israel made last month.

“We have confirmed once again that the occupation does not want to reach an agreement and continues to evade and obstruct it, and insists on adding the new conditions it announced to obstruct the agreement,” the senior Hamas official says in a statement to reporters.

The Hamas official calls on the mediators to pressure Israel to agree to the latest proposal that the terror group submitted early last month.

That offer saw Hamas cave on its key demand for an up-front Israeli commitment for a permanent ceasefire, but did include a series of new conditions — many of which rejected by Israel and the mediators.

Hamas says it remains committed to an agreement with Israel on those terms.

“Any agreement must guarantee the cessation of aggression against our people, withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, provision of urgent relief in the form of food and medicine, and reaching a real deal to exchange prisoners,” the Hamas statement says.

Iran’s UN mission hints extension of Gaza talks to further delay threatened attack on Israel

Asked if Iran will continue to hold off on retaliating against Israel now that the Gaza ceasefire-hostage talks have been extended, Iran’s mission to the UN in New York says “We hope so.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri meanwhile says he was updated by his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani about today’s negotiations in Doha.

In a statement posted to X, Bagheri says he told al-Thani that Israel can’t be trusted, while calling “to use all means” to force an end to Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas.

A statement from the Qatari foreign ministry says the two “stressed the need for calm and deescalation in the region” and that al-Thani “reiterated Qatar’s commitment to supporting all regional and international efforts aimed at achieving regional and international security and stability.”

Biden warns ‘no one in the region should take action to undermine’ Gaza deal talks

US President Joe Biden arrives at Philadelphia International Airport, in Philadelphia, August 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

US President Joe Biden warns Israel and other actors not to take steps that could undermine the ceasefire and hostage release deal that his administration is trying to finalize in the coming days.

“Earlier today, I received an update from my negotiating team on the ground in Doha and directed them to put forward the comprehensive bridging proposal presented today, which offers the basis for coming to a final agreement on a ceasefire and hostage release deal,” Biden says in a statement.

“I spoke separately with [Qatar’s] Emir Sheikh Tamim and [Egypt’s] President Sissi to review the significant progress made in Doha over the past two days of talks, and they expressed the strong support of Qatar and Egypt for the US proposal as co-mediators in this process,” the president continues.

“Our teams will remain on the ground to continue technical work over the coming days, and senior officials will convene again in Cairo before the end of the week. They will report to me regularly.”

“I am sending Secretary Blinken to Israel to reaffirm my iron-clad support for Israel’s security, continue our intensive efforts to conclude this agreement and to underscore that with the comprehensive ceasefire and hostage release deal now in sight, no one in the region should take actions to undermine this process,” Biden adds.

Israeli official aims to lower expectations amid US optimism post-Doha summit

A senior Israeli official tells the Kan public broadcaster that progress was indeed made in Doha on several controversial aspects of the hostage deal being negotiated.

However, the official notes that this progress was only between Israel and the mediators.

It is still unclear how Hamas will respond to these new arrangements.

A lower-level Israeli negotiating team will remain in Doha over the weekend for continued talks with mediators, and a separate lower-level team will travel to Cairo tomorrow for similar meetings. Qatar and Egypt have sometimes divided the negotiations to have the former focus on the hostage aspects and the latter focus on the withdrawal of Israeli troops from key areas in and around Gaza, such as the Netzarim and Philadelphi Corridors along with the Rafah Crossing.

The lower-level delegations will aim to close remaining gaps before the top negotiators reconvene at the end of next week in Cairo to try and finalize a deal.