Israel-Gaza ceasefire edges nearer after ‘breakthrough’ in talks
- US official said latest proposal bridged every gap between Israel and Hamas
- Israel Katz, Israel’s foreign minister, said he ‘expects’ UK support if Iran attacks
- Country has been braced for an attack after Hamas’ political leader was killed
A ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage swap between Hamas and Israel edged closer last night after an apparent breakthrough in negotiations.
Mediators are said to be preparing to implement a deal that would end the ten-month war.
A US official, speaking anonymously, said the proposal bridged every gap between Israel and Hamas.
It comes hours after Israel’s foreign minister said it ‘expects’ the UK’s support in attacking Iran if the hardline Islamic state follows through on threats to assault Israeli territory.
End in sight? Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, (right) met British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Friday amid speculation a ceasefire and hostage swap are close to being agreed
Chained Israeli protesters hold up placards in a protest to call for an end to the war in Gaza, during Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s visit to Jerusalem on Friday
The protestors chained themselves together as they called for an end to the ten-month long war
Mr Lammy and French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne are visiting the country while Israel, the US and mediators Qatar and Egypt hold fresh talks in Doha aimed at brokering a ceasefire. They are pictured with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa (centre)
The three sat down to begin talks as negotiators try to wrap up a possible ceasefire deal
Israel has spent the past fortnight braced for a revenge attack from Iran after Hamas’s top political leader was killed in Tehran.
The possibility of a ceasefire follows two days of talks in Qatar, which raised hopes that a deal was imminent.
A new ‘implementation cell’ is being established in Cairo to focus on the deal’s logistics, including the releasing of hostages, providing humanitarian aid for Gaza and monitoring that the terms of the deal are met, the American official said.
Mediators plan to reconvene in Cairo next week to seal an agreement to stop the fighting.
Israel issued a vague statement saying it appreciated the mediators’ efforts, but a statement from Hamas did not sound enthusiastic about the proposed deal to end the war and free Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
US President Joe Biden said: ‘We are closer than we’ve ever been [to an agreement].’
‘Closer than ever’: President Biden sounded hopeful that a deal could be struck imminently as the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis was evacuated amid further Israeli strikes today
Displaced Palestinians fled Hamad City following an Israeli evacuation order on Friday
Makeshift tents are seen as smoke rises from the Hamed area following an Israeli attack
The Israeli strike on the Hamad area in Gaza came on Friday following an evacuation order, as British foreign minister David Lammy visited the country today
A Palestinian examines a torched vehicle the morning after a rampage by Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Jit
Children sit in front of a destroyed building in Nusseirat, Gaza Strip on August 12, 2024
A ceasefire is seen as the best hope for heading off an even larger regional conflict.
Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, told British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne yesterday: ‘If Iran attacks, we expect the coalition to join Israel not only in defence, but also in attacking significant targets in Iran.’
A statement from Mr Katz’s office added that he ‘made it clear that the right way to deter Iran and prevent war is by announcing that if Iran attacks, they will stand with Israel not only in defence, but also in striking targets in Iran’.
Mr Katz tweeted: ‘Iran is the head of the axis of evil and the free world must stop it now before it’s too late.’
Mr Lammy and Mr Sejourne are visiting while Israel, the US and mediators Qatar and Egypt hold fresh talks in Doha aimed at brokering a ceasefire and the return of hostages.
Both sides previously agreed in principle to a plan Mr Biden announced on May 31.
But Hamas has proposed amendments, and Israel has suggested clarifications, leading each side to accuse the other of trying to tank the deal.
However, Hamas quickly cast doubt on whether an agreement was within reach.
Houthi supporters hold placards with pictures of Ismail Haniyeh (L) and Hezbollah senior commander Fuad Shukr (R) during a protest following their deaths, in Sana’a, on August 2. The killings have prompted Iran to threaten Israel with a return attack
Iran has vowed revenge on Israel for the attack on Iranian soil against Haniyeh late last month
Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel on April 13, largely intercepted
In a statement, the militant group said the latest proposal diverged significantly from the previous version it had agreed to in principle, implying that it may not accept it.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken planned to travel to Israel this weekend to ‘continue intensive diplomatic efforts’ to reach a ceasefire and to underscore the need for all parties in the region to avoid escalation, the US State Department said.
As the possibility of an attack from Iran rises, the Pentagon said on Sunday the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group had been ordered to accelerate its deployment to the Middle East
The U.S. is preparing for Iran or its proxies to attack Israel as soon as this week, according to White House national security spokesman John Kirby
