Gaza ceasefire talks set to resume
The News
Ceasefire talks over the war in Gaza will resume next week after leaders of the US, Egypt, and Qatar said they would present a “final” proposal to end the more than 10-month conflict, which has killed tens of thousands, sparked fears of a widening regional conflict, and hammered global trade.
“There is no further time to waste nor excuses from any party for further delay. It is time to release the hostages, begin the ceasefire, and implement this agreement,” the leaders said in a statement Thursday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said an Israeli delegation will attend negotiations. Hamas has not yet confirmed whether it will join.
SIGNALS
Sinwar may take a more hardline approach to negotiations than his predecessor
Hamas’ new political chief Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh’s replacement, could take a more hardline approach in upcoming talks: Haniyeh was “considered moderate by Hamas standards,” while Sinwar comes from the group’s militant wing, which has a “vested interest in continuing the war indefinitely,” a political expert wrote in The Conversation. Sinwar is “much more inflexible and difficult to work with,” a former US official told the BBC. But Sinwar has been calling the shots all along, and regarded Haniyeh as little more than a “messenger boy,” a columnist argued in Haaretz. However, Haniyeh did control Hamas’ financing mechanisms, which are vital to securing the group’s future and could become a “central factor” in Sinwar’s decision-making, he added.
Iran may scrap retaliation plans in exchange for ceasefire
A ceasefire deal in Gaza could give Iran the “diplomatic cover” it needs to back down on retaliation threats against Israel without losing honor or credibility, CNN’s international diplomatic editor wrote. Sources told the outlet that Hezbollah looks increasingly likely to strike Israel independently of Iran, with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian having reportedly urged Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to refrain from attacking on the basis that an all-out war could cripple the country’s economy, according to Iran International.
