Israel proposes withdrawal of more troops from Gaza as ceasefire negotiations stall in Middle East

Israel has presented a new proposal in indirect talks over a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, according to a media report.

The Jewish state is now willing to withdraw more troops from the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire than previously offered, the Times of Israel newspaper reported, citing an Arab diplomat.

Indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in the Qatari capital Doha have recently stalled.

A key sticking point is the differing views on the extent of the Israeli troop withdrawal, particularly from the southern Gaza Strip.

Israel had previously been adamant that its forces remain in a relatively large area, including a three-kilometre-wide buffer zone along the border with Egypt near Rafah, as well as the so-called Morag Corridor, which separates Rafah from Khan Younis, the next city in the coastal strip.

Hamas, however, has demanded the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the positions they held before the collapse of the last ceasefire in March.

Under the newly reported proposal, Israel would reduce its military presence to a two-kilometre-wide buffer zone along the southern border near Rafah.

However, according to the Arab diplomat cited by the Times of Israel, it is doubtful whether this concession will lead to a breakthrough in the negotiations.

Israel’s wish to maintain its military presence in southern Gaza is linked to plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Government to establish a camp there for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, media reports say.

Critics describe this as an internment camp that could ultimately lead to forced deportation. Israel, however, refers to it as a “humanitarian city” intended as a base for the “voluntary departure” of Gaza’s residents.

Israel’s war on Gaza, which followed the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks by Hamas and other Islamist militants, continues to lead to consternation at the United Nations.

UN Secretary General António Guterres said in New York on Monday: “We all condemned the horrible, terrible attacks of Hamas, but what we are witnessing Gaza is a level of death and destruction that has no parallel in recent times.”

Separately, Egypt’s foreign minister said the flow of aid into Gaza has not increased despite an agreement last week between Israel and the European Union that should have had that result.

“Nothing has changed (on the ground),” Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told reporters ahead of the EU-Middle East meeting in Brussels on Monday.

The EU’s top diplomat said the bloc and Israel agreed to improve Gaza’s humanitarian situation, including increasing the number of aid trucks and opening crossing points and aid routes.

Asked what steps Israel has taken, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar referred to an understanding with the EU but did not provide details on implementation.

Asked if there were improvements after the agreement, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told reporters that the situation in Gaza remains “catastrophic”.

“There is a real catastrophe happening in Gaza resulting from the continuation of the Israeli siege,” he said.

with Reuters