Israel Hamas Ceasefire: The ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, which have been going on since July, have not been finalized yet. For the last few days, America has started trying its best to convince Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire. A senior US government official revealed on Wednesday that 90 percent of the deal between Israel and Hamas for the Gaza agreement has been done, but issues like prisoner exchange and Philadelphia corridor are still pending. America also emphasized that Hamas’s nature of killing hostages and threatening to do so in future shows that we are talking to a dreaded terrorist group, so a little delay is natural but the talks will definitely be successful.
where is the matter stuck
A senior US official said, “Basically 90% agreement has been reached on the Gaza deal. Both sides have agreed on 14 pages out of the total 18-page proposal. He said that there are still many important challenges on which consensus is yet to be reached. Among other mediators, Egypt and Qatar allege that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still adamant on not calling the army through the Philadelphia corridor before the release of the hostages.
What is the outline of the agreement
According to the Jerusalem Post, if the Gaza agreement between Israel and Hamas is accepted, it will be completed in three phases. The first phase involves the release of hostages from both sides. The second phase involves the withdrawal of the IDF from densely populated areas in Gaza and Rafah. The third and final phase involves the Israeli army and Hamas vowing not to attack each other. However, Israel argues that Hamas is adamant that the IDF should first withdraw from the Philadelphia Corridor. Israel believes that opening the Philadelphia Corridor for Hamas directly means that it will resume the supply of weapons through tunnels. Israel objects to this.
Netanyahu himself held press conferences on two consecutive nights regarding the Philadelphia Corridor between Egypt and Gaza. On the other hand, those supporting the agreement have accused Netanyahu of sabotaging the ceasefire. They argue that if he agrees to withdraw from the Philadelphia Corridor, then an agreement can be reached.
Criminal charges framed against Yahya Sinwar and several Hamas leaders
On the other hand, on Wednesday, the US Justice Department has filed criminal charges against Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other terrorists in connection with the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The criminal complaint filed in a federal court in New York includes charges of conspiring to provide assistance to a foreign terrorist organization.
Attorney General Merrick Garland released a video saying, “The charges unveiled today are just one part of our effort to target Hamas’ activities. These will not be our last actions.” Sinwar was appointed the head of Hamas after the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran. He is believed to have spent most of the last 10 months in Gaza, in tunnels, and it is not clear whether he has contact with the outside world. Other accused include Marwan Issa, the deputy leader of Hamas’ armed wing in Gaza, Khaled Mashaal, Mohammed al-Masri and Ali Baraka.
