Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations hit stalemate

U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday in Israel, urging Israel to rethink its ground offensive in Rafah, the southernmost tip of Gaza, and calling for ceasefire negotiations. However, Netanyahu insisted on his "my way" approach, asserting that he would proceed with the Rafah ground offensive regardless of ceasefire negotiations, confirming only a mutual difference in opinions. Ceasefire negotiations, which had shown some progress, have been stalled as Hamas expressed negative sentiments, calling “an insecure ceasefire a dangerous trap.”

According to reports from the Washington Post and others, during the two-and-a-half-hour meeting, Secretary Blinken told Prime Minister Netanyahu that the U.S. cannot agree to a Rafah ground operation without civilian protection measures in place and requested an acceleration in humanitarian aid supply to Gaza. "We have reaffirmed the clear position of the United States on Rafah," U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller explained shortly after the meeting.

The United States also pressed actively for ceasefire negotiations with Hamas. Prior to the Prime Minister's meeting, Secretary Blinken met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and publicly criticized Hamas, saying, "The failure to achieve a ceasefire is entirely the fault of Hamas."

However, it was reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu did not back down. According to the Times of Israel, Netanyahu, during the meeting, insisted that hostage negotiations and attacks on Rafah are separate issues and reaffirmed his commitment to eliminating Hamas. He added that although hostage negotiations are important, the objective of eliminating Hamas remains unchanged. Furthermore, he maintained the previous stance of not considering a permanent ceasefire even if engaging in ceasefire negotiations.

Hamas, which was initially reported to be positively considering the negotiation proposal, was revealed not to be inclined to accept it.

"The leadership will not accept Israel's current proposal," the Hamas press office said in an interview with the New York Times on Wednesday. "We are willing to participate in future ceasefire negotiations." Israeli media Channel 12 also conveyed an internal perception, citing a close associate of Hamas military leader Yahya Sinwar, stating, "Hostage exchanges and ceasefire negotiations without guarantees of terminating war are traps targeting us."


카이로=김기윤 특파원 pep@donga.com