Middle East Monitor
Well-placed Israeli sources accused US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday of sabotaging negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, Anadolu Agency has reported.
According to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, unnamed sources said that, “Blinken made a grave mistake by claiming that Netanyahu accepted the US proposal, putting the ball in Hamas’s court.”
The sources argued that Blinken “seriously undermined the negotiations and demonstrated a lack of understanding,” accusing him of fostering false optimism for internal US political reasons, particularly to ensure the smooth running of the Democratic Party’s national convention in Chicago this week.
They added that senior Israeli negotiators were alarmed by Blinken’s statements during his press conference, believing that he had “dealt a death blow to the deal” by siding with Netanyahu and giving a “gift” to the Israeli prime minister.“
No agreement will occur if Israel continues to insist on deploying forces along the Philadelphia Corridor,” which borders Gaza and Egypt, said the sources. “Blinken’s remarks implied US support for Netanyahu’s position on maintaining Israeli forces along Philadelphia, despite opposition from both Hamas and Egypt.”
Expectations had been that Blinken would encourage both Israel and Hamas to show flexibility, but instead, he “embraced Netanyahu and distanced himself from Hamas,” casting significant doubt on the feasibility of reaching a deal.
On Wednesday evening, Israeli media reported that US President Joe Biden was expected to speak with Netanyahu “tonight” to urge him “to soften Israel’s position” regarding the Philadelphia Corridor.
Israeli, Egyptian, and American officials met in Cairo on Sunday and Monday to discuss the Corridor issue. According to the Israeli website Walla, at Netanyahu’s direction Israeli negotiators presented maps to Egyptian and US representatives, proposing that Israeli forces continue to deploy along the Philadelphia Corridor as part of the first phase of the deal, albeit on a smaller scale. However, Egypt rejected this proposal, and the US made it clear to Israel that the map presented was unacceptable, according to media reports.
Speaking in Doha before departing the region on Tuesday, Blinken said that the US opposes any long-term Israeli occupation of any part of Gaza.
The Philadelphia Corridor is a 14-kilometre (8.69-mile) demilitarised buffer zone along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. It remains one of the major sticking points in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
For months, the US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas on a prisoner exchange and ceasefire deal which will allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. However, mediation efforts have been stalled due to Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’s demands to stop the war.
Israel is continuing its brutal offensive on Gaza which began after the cross-border incursion by Hamas last October. The onslaught has killed over 40,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded nearly 93,000 others, according to local health authorities. Vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.
Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the blockaded enclave. It denies the allegation.
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