Biden warns against undermining Gaza ceasefire

US President Joe Biden has warned all parties involved in Gaza ceasefire negotiations not to sabotage the effort.

Biden declared that “we are closer than ever” to a ceasefire after the latest round of talks, but a senior Hamas official was skeptical.

The president also announced that he would send Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Israel to continue “our best efforts to complete this deal.”

His comments came after a joint statement from the US, Qatar and Egypt – saying they had proposed a ceasefire and hostage release deal to “bridge the gap” between Israel and Hamas.

Any sign of progress in the talks in Qatar is seen as essential by governments as they try to avoid the Gaza war escalating into a full-blown regional conflict.

The intermediaries said that the past two days of ceasefire discussions were “serious, constructive and took place in a positive atmosphere”.

Technical teams are expected to continue working in the coming days to hammer out details on how to implement the proposed provisions before senior government officials meet again in Cairo, hoping to reach agreement on the terms outlined in Doha.

Mr Biden later said he had spoken privately with the leaders of Qatar and Egypt, who expressed “strong support” for the proposal.

He added that he would also send Mr Blinken back to the Middle East to “reaffirm my absolute support for Israel’s security” and “emphasize that with the comprehensive ceasefire and hostage release agreement now in place, no one in the region should take action to undermine this process”.

While the mediators’ announcement is clearly a positive development, there is still a long way to go before a ceasefire is achieved.

However, Mr Blinken told US reporters he was more optimistic than ever about reaching a deal but said if he revealed the reasons, he would “reveal”.

Asked when a ceasefire might begin, he said “that remains to be seen”.

This is not the first time the US president has said he thinks a deal is close, and not everyone shares his cautious optimism.

A senior Hamas figure – which is not involved in the talks but has been in contact with Qatari and Egyptian officials – told the BBC: “What the movement’s leadership has been told today regarding the outcome of the ceasefire meetings in Doha does not include a commitment to implement what was agreed on 2 July.”

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he appreciated efforts to “dissuade Hamas from rejecting the deal to release the hostages”.

The Israeli military launched an operation in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage.

More than 40,000 people have died in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

A deal agreed in November saw Hamas release 105 hostages in exchange for a week-long ceasefire and the release of about 240 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Israel says 111 hostages remain in its custody, including 39 who are believed to have died.

The first phase of the deal outlined by President Biden, based on Israel’s May 27 proposal, would include a six-week “full and comprehensive ceasefire,” the withdrawal of Israeli troops from all populated areas in Gaza and the exchange of some hostages — including women, the elderly and the sick or wounded — for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

The second phase would include the release of all other living hostages and a “permanent cessation of hostilities”. The third phase would see the start of a major reconstruction plan for Gaza and the return of the remains of the dead hostages.

Meanwhile, Israeli military operations in Gaza continue, with new evacuation orders issued for some residential areas north of Khan Younis and Deir Balah – further reducing the humanitarian zone.

Israel said the compounds had become dangerous for civilians “due to significant terrorist acts” and rocket and mortar fire into Israel.

“Once again, fear is spreading as families have nowhere to go. People remain trapped in an endless nightmare of death and destruction on a staggering scale,” said the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa).

What makes the need for a ceasefire even more urgent is the fact that the polio virus – spread through feces – is now circulating inside the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought shelter from the fighting.

“Let us be clear: the best vaccine for polio is peace and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.