The United States has never seemed in such a hurry. In Israel, this Wednesday, at the end of a seventh regional tour since October 7, American Secretary of State Antony Blinken once again urged Hamas to accept “NOW” the truce agreement, the latest version of which was validated by the Hebrew State. Pressed by the humanitarian emergency in Gaza, where aid is still not coming in enough to cover the needs of the more than 2 million inhabitants of this territory ravaged by bombings, but also and above all by the importance of the political debate caused in the United States by the occupation of American universities.
It has even become an electoral issue across the Atlantic, almost six months before the presidential election. Washington’s support for Tel Aviv has divided Democrats for several weeks, and greatly weakens President candidate Joe Biden in the face of Donald Trump who continues to progress in the polls despite his legal bickering. The police intervention at Columbia University, in New York, to dislodge pro-Palestinian activists, was, for example, commented live this Tuesday on the conservative channel Fox News by the billionaire ex-president who will be invested this summer by the Republican Party. He castigated the supposed laxity of his Democratic opponent whom he will face on November 5. A few hours later, scuffles broke out at UCLA, the University of Los Angeles.
Sensitivities
Enough to explain the eagerness of the American Secretary of State who, after his visit to Riyadh on Tuesday April 30, is pulling out all the stops while trying to care for everyone’s sensitivities. To Israelis, he assures that he is determined “to obtain a ceasefire bringing the hostages home and to obtain it now. And the only reason why it wouldn’t happen is Hamas.” To others, he promises to do everything to prevent the imminence of an Israeli offensive on the town of Rafah, the last Palestinian refuge in the south of the Gaza Strip where nearly 1.5 million people are concentrated in conditions of deplorable lives.
The Islamist organization responded almost directly to his statements this morning by accusing him of putting pressure on Hamas while “acquitting” Israel, according to Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official. He told the Reuters agency that the group is still studying the latest offer for which Tel Aviv says it expects a response this Wednesday evening at the latest. According to the Associated Press, Hamas requested clarification on the latest version from Egyptian and Qatari negotiators. Since the last truce in November, negotiations have always stumbled on the same point: the organization wants a permanent ceasefire and a total withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, while Benjamin Netanyahu maintains that his operation will continue. “with or without agreement” truce. As good balancing acts, American officials tell the New York Times hope that a six-week truce, as currently planned, will lead to a permanent ceasefire.
Agreement details
But it must be admitted that the wording for such a condition to be respected remains quite vague. At least as it is presented this Wednesday by the Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar, which publishes the details of the agreement presented by Egypt to Hamas last Friday. The words used do not mention Israel’s commitment not to return to the Gaza Strip, as the Islamist organization wishes, but “a return to calm and the implementation of everything necessary to achieve a ceasefire”.
Furthermore, the article confirms that a first phase of 40 days should allow the suspension of IDF activities in the Palestinian enclave and the withdrawal of armed forces from the most populated areas, particularly those close to the border. Israeli soldiers would nevertheless remain stationed initially in the Netzarim corridor, in the center of the strip. A first batch of 33 female hostages – including soldiers – would be released at a rate of three per day compared to around forty Palestinian women – including those sentenced to death. According to the agreement, Hamas would undertake to provide on the seventh day of the truce a list of all the hostages still alive. Then it would be the turn of male hostages – sick, injured or aged over 50 – to be released in exchange for 20 to 50 Palestinian prisoners.
Throughout the hostage releases, Israel undertakes not to fly over Gaza, either by plane or by drone, for eight to ten hours a day. And the Israeli army must let the Gazans return to their area of residence, let the humanitarian aid return, and gradually withdraw, from the 22nd day, from the Netzarim corridor to facilitate the delivery of the 500 aid trucks planned in the agreement – including 50 tankers with fuel. A second phase is then planned to allow the release of all the hostages still alive and allow the negotiation of a lasting ceasefire. A third, still hypothetical, must see the return of the bodies of deceased hostages and the establishment of a five-year rehabilitation plan during which the Palestinians would undertake not to build any military installations in the enclave.
Emergency
While waiting for Hamas’ response, everyone is playing their part. Beyond the United States which is putting pressure, certain Western powers also want to play a role, notably France. Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné is making a surprise visit to Cairo this Wednesday, May 1, after Tel Aviv on Tuesday and Riyadh on Monday. According to Reuters, he wants to try to include the three French nationals still hostages – who are also Israeli soldiers – on the list of those to be released in the event of an agreement. French diplomats also assure that he wants to present a proposal to defuse tensions on the Lebanese border between Israel and Hezbollah, the other front which has threatened an unprecedented escalation for seven months.
Despite the still uncertain hope of a truce, tensions are not easing. Israel continues its bombings on the Gaza Strip and claimed this Wednesday morning to have “struck and destroyed” in the night “weapons storage facilities, military structures, launch sites and mortar launchers”. The Gaza Ministry of Health controlled by Hamas, for its part, reported a new death toll of 34,568, mostly civilians. In his meeting this morning with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, the American Secretary of State mentioned the Gazan victims in one word: “We must also care about the people who are suffering, caught in the crossfire.” Because it is for them, as for the families of the hostages, that the wait is the longest.
