US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sentenced the Gaza ceasefire negotiations to death by implying Hamas was the obstacle to a deal and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted it, Israeli officials told local media.
Blinken’s comments by expressing “optimism” about the outcome of the latest round of talks may have ended up sabotaging the chance for success, the sources said.
Negotiations for an end to the months-long Israeli assault on Gaza have, in recent days, hinged on demands by Netanyahu that Israel maintain control of the Philadelphi Corridor and the Netzarim Corridor.
The Philadelphi Corridor is a 14km-long, 100 metre-wide demilitarised buffer zone along the border between Gaza and Egypt, established by two Egyptian-Israeli agreements in 1979 and 2005, while the Netzarim Corridor is a 6km stretch of land dividing northern and southern Gaza that was established by the Israeli military during the current war on Gaza.
Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed Israel will retain control over these areas and maintain a military presence at the Rafah border crossing, a crucial lifeline for aid and commercial goods that has been closed since early May. ….more
