The Status of the Palestinian Authority in the Middle East and the Implications for the Security of the Resolution of the Israel-Hamas Conflict
The Palestinian Authority, which administers the West Bank, has signaled that it is willing to take on a such a role. It is making it contingent on President Biden committing to go into the diplomatic challenge of creating a two state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
Mr. al-Sheikh said that the Palestinians were looking for an American proposal to force Israel to abide by it. He stated, “This current U.S. administration is capable of doing that.”
His message is both a challenge and a sigh of relief, as he tries to convince the White House to try and end the bloodshed between Israel and Hamas. American officials say the Palestinian Authority must play a central role in Gaza after Israel completes its military mission to destroy Hamas, which the authorities say killed 1,400 civilians and soldiers in its Oct. 7 attacks.
The core issues that have stymied peacemakers for three decades have been the Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and the Palestinians’ status in East Jerusalem, Mr. al-Sheikh said.
Mr. al-Sheikh said he had no confidence that the current Israeli government, which has pushed to annex large parts of the West Bank, would agree to those terms. “Where is the partner on the Israeli side?” he asked.
Israel’s attack on Hamas: Israel pauses come after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out a cease-fire on Wednesday
During pauses in fighting between Israel and Hamas this week, residents from the north of Gaza used the road as an escape route.
But the agreement — the framework of which is not new — shouldn’t be mistaken for a longer-term cease-fire or humanitarian pause. Israel has been holding pauses for at least four or five hours in the last week. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have managed to use them to head to southern Gaza.
The announcement of the daily pauses came after days of efforts by Mr. Biden to convince Israel to do more to reduce civilian casualties. Mr. Biden asked Mr. Netanyahu during a call on Monday to pause its assault on Hamas. The secretary of state and the defense secretary were among those lobbying their counterparts during the visit.
In addition, the daily pauses would allow for civilians to escape the fighting, allow more humanitarian supplies to enter the region, and allow the release of some of the hostages held by Hamas, including a handful of Americans. He noted that 106 trucks of humanitarian aid crossed into Gaza on Wednesday, toward a U.S. goal of 150 trucks a day.
In a statement, the office of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that 50,000 Gazans had taken that route on Wednesday alone. “The fighting continues and there will be no cease-fire without the release of our hostages,” the statement said, adding, “We once again call on the civilian population of Gaza to evacuate to the south.”
Biden told reporters in Illinois that he had requested a pause longer than three days. Asked if he was frustrated that Mr. Netanyahu took so long to agree, the president hinted at some impatience. He said it took a bit longer than he had hoped. As for the fate of the hostages, he said, “We’re still optimistic.”
Mr. Biden doesn’t support the calls for a cease-fire because he believes that Israel has an interest in destroying Hamas, which was responsible for killing more than 1400 people. He ruled out the prospect of a cease-fire again on Thursday, saying: “None. No chance.
“Frankly, a cease-fire at this time would in all practicality legitimize what they did on Oct. 7, and we simply aren’t going to stand for that at this time,” Mr. Kirby said.
Israel’s Prime Minister Rehears a “Middle East Security Threat”: The Hamas Violation in Gaza and the Cairo International Airport
More than 50,000 civilians in Gaza used the “humanitarian corridor” on Thursday, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said at a press briefing Thursday.
A humanitarian pause or even cease-fire is a topic of ongoing discussions between U.S. officials and leaders in the Middle East.
The heads of Mossad, the Israel’s intelligence agency, as well as CIA chief William Burns met with the prime minister of the Gulf state of Qatar to discuss a deal for the release of hostages kidnapped one month ago.
Meanwhile, in Egypt on Friday morning, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi welcomed the Qatar emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, at the Cairo International Airport.
Around 1,400 people in Israel were killed when Hamas attacked more than a month ago. More than 10,800 people in Gaza have been killed since this war began.