The White House is urgently working on a new proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas, according to multiple US and Egyptian officials and sources familiar with the matter. The new plan aims to resolve key sticking points that have stalled months of negotiations mediated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt to secure a truce between Israel and Hamas.
On Wednesday, a senior Biden Administration official told Reuters that much of the agreement has been finalized. Still, two critical issues remain unresolved: Israel’s insistence on maintaining a military presence in the Philadelphi Corridor, a strategic buffer zone along Gaza’s border with Egypt, and disagreements over the specific individuals to be included in a potential exchange of hostages.
The proposal is expected to be ready by next week or possibly sooner, with one US official indicating that a revised draft could be unveiled as early as this weekend. “The feeling is the time is up,” the official noted, reflecting the urgency felt by negotiators.
The recent killing of six hostages by Hamas, whose bodies were returned to Israel over the weekend, has intensified the pressure on all parties. CIA Director William Burns is leading the US negotiation team, which includes top officials such as Brett McGurk, White House coordinator for the Middle East, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The situation remains fluid, with five Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Authority, rejecting Israel’s demand to keep troops in the Philadelphi Corridor. Negotiations continue, but the first phase of any agreement would require Israeli withdrawal from densely populated areas, which Israel contests, including the corridor.