Blinken, Qatari prime minister discus 'swift implementation' of Gaza cease-fire proposal

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Tuesday with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on "bridging" a Gaza cease-fire proposal presented by mediators last week, according to the State Department.

Blinken and Al Thani "underscored that the bridging proposal presented by negotiators addresses the remaining gaps in a manner that allows for swift implementation of the deal," US State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said in a statement.

"The Secretary and Prime Minister discussed continuing to work together to convey that no party should take actions to undermine efforts to reach a deal," he added.

Blinken arrived in the Qatari capital Doha on Tuesday for his ninth Middle East trip since Oct. 7 last year, following stops in Egypt and Israel, where he left without achieving a breakthrough in Gaza cease-fire talks.

Earlier Tuesday, he told reporters in Doha that the US is engaged "every single day" with Israel and Qatari and Egyptian mediators are engaged with the Palestinian group Hamas to secure an agreement on the "bridging proposal.”

"Over the coming days, we are going to do everything possible to, one, get Hamas on board with the bridging proposal, and then to make sure that both parties work on and agree to necessary details of implementation that would allow everything to go forward," he said.

"Time is of the essence," he said, stressing the urgency due to the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and the threat to the lives of hostages.

Responding to a question on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to withdraw Israeli forces from the Philadelphi Corridor and the Netzarim Axis, Blinken reiterated the US stance against "any long-term occupation of Gaza by Israel.”

"More specifically, the agreement is very clear on the schedule and the locations of IDF withdrawals from Gaza, and Israel has agreed to that," he added.

Netanyahu's comments came after Blinken said Monday while in Israel that the Israeli premier accepted the "bridging proposal" and urged Hamas to do the same.

The US, Egypt and Qatar announced last week following cease-fire talks in Doha that they had presented Israel and Hamas with what they called a "bridging proposal" to further narrow "remaining gaps in the manner that allows for a swift implementation of the deal."

Hamas criticized the proposal, claiming it aligns with Netanyahu's conditions, including his refusal of a permanent cease-fire, complete withdrawal from Gaza and his insistence on continuing the occupation of the Netzarim Junction (which separates the north and south of the Gaza Strip), the Rafah border crossing and the Philadelphi Corridor.

Biden said in May that Israel presented a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave. The plan includes a cease-fire, a hostage-prisoner exchange, the Israeli military’s withdrawal from Gaza, a surge in aid and a permanent end to hostilities.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

The conflict has resulted in over 40,170 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and more than 92,740 injuries, according to local health authorities.

The ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.