“US, Qatar, and Egypt to present a new Gaza cease-fire proposal to Israel and Hamas, aiming to end the ongoing conflict. Antony Blinken announces progress, with key issues remaining to be resolved before finalizing the agreement.”

The US, along with Qatar and Egypt, plans to present a fresh cease-fire proposal to Israel and Hamas in the hope of ending the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday. That comes as the Biden administration tries to negotiate its way through treacherous Middle East diplomacy in hopes of achieving peace for a region that is riddled by violence.

Cease-Fire Proposal Near Completion

As Blinken mentioned, an agreement on about 90% of the cease-fire was reached while leaving two very important points not agreed to. These were the Israeli control over the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border and the terms for the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. Blinken asserted that the US, Qatar, and Egypt have been holding “very active discussions” to nail down those issues and would brief their collective proposal to Israel and Hamas over the course of coming days.

Challenges in Reaching a Deal

While diplomatic efforts are ongoing, an imminent deal is doubted by the Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said, “Hamas is not there with a deal,” adding further that the prospect of an agreement was “not close.” Such doubt reflected the difficulties faced by the Biden administration to secure a cease-fire acceptable to both parties.

The cease-fire push has taken on a sense of urgency, especially after six Israeli hostages were discovered dead in a Gaza tunnel last weekend, ratcheting up the public pressure on Netanyahu to ink a deal. The hostages had been seized during a brutal, October 7 Hamas assault on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people. The terror tag on Hamas by the US and the European Union has long been a central figure in the conflict that complicates cease-fire negotiations.

Diplomatic Implications Beyond Cease-Fire

But beyond the cease-fire efforts, the broader implications for Middle East diplomacy are great. Blinken suggested there is an ability to move forward on a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, an effort that had been derailed by the war. That would presuppose the advancement of the Palestinian issue—a matter on which Israel’s leadership has dug in its feet—and yet Blinken expressed optimism about the prospect of moving forward on that front if there is a cease-fire.

Looking Ahead: The Role of the US in Middle East Peace

The mere involvement of the US, Qatar, and Egypt in putting together a cease-fire proposal is an unwieldy balancing of power and diplomacy in the Middle East. The ability of the Biden administration to navigate those challenges will be a critical test of his foreign policy in the region as the world watches.

The next several days will be telling, as to whether the cease-fire plan overcomes the remaining obstacles and brings hostilities to a complete stop in Gaza. All eyes, for the time being, are on the US and its partners as they prepare to make their final presentation to Israel and Hamas in hope of peace to a region long troubled with conflict.