US, Qatar, Egypt engage in 'sensitive' diplomatic efforts to secure Gaza hostage release

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US, Qatar and Egypt are carrying out "sensitive" diplomatic engagements to secure the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, the American envoy to the UN said Friday.

"We've been working tirelessly with Qatar, Egypt and other regional partners on a strong, compelling proposal.

"Our engagement is the best opportunity to reunite all hostages with their families," Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.

The US has continued to work toward a sustainable resolution to the conflict so that Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side and enjoy equal security, dignity and freedom, Thomas-Greenfield added.

The proposal would move all parties "one step closer" to creating the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities, she said.

"The (UN Security) Council has the obligation. That's the obligation to ensure that any action we take in the coming days increases pressure on Hamas to accept the proposal," she said.

Thomas-Greenfield said there are two Security Council resolutions on Gaza and added that a draft resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire, put forward by Algeria, could jeopardize "sensitive negotiations" to broker a deal for the release of hostages.

"Ultimately, now is the time to allow space for the sensitive hostage negotiations to proceed to get behind (UN's Gaza) special coordinator (Sigrid) Kaag's proposal," she said.

Without giving a timeframe for negotiations, the envoy said: "Negotiations take time, but we're giving it that time we're giving it the effort on the ground."

The Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, confirmed Tuesday it received a proposal that was reached Sunday in a Paris summit between Israel, Qatar, Egypt and the US for a cease-fire deal and hostage swap with Israel.