After months of intense negotiations, the Biden administration appears to be on the verge of brokering a ceasefire deal in Gaza that could halt major fighting, secure the release of some Israeli hostages, and increase humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians, according to a report from The Washington Post.
A senior US official told The Washington Post on Wednesday that "the framework is agreed" and the parties are now "negotiating details of how it will be implemented." Middle East adviser Brett McGurk and CIA Director William J. Burns have been shuttling between regional capitals since November to forge the deal.
While officials caution that a final agreement isn't imminent due to the complexity of the details, the potential deal could be seen as a validation of President Biden's diplomatic efforts in balancing America's role as peacemaker with its strong military support for Israel.
The proposed agreement, as described by US officials to The Washington Post, envisions a three-stage resolution to the conflict. The first stage would involve a six-week ceasefire during which Hamas would release 33 Israeli hostages, including all female prisoners, men over 50, and the wounded. In return, Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and withdraw its troops from densely populated areas of Gaza.
The second stage would address the release of remaining male Israeli soldier hostages and aim for a "permanent end to hostilities" with a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The third phase would focus on a multi-year reconstruction plan for Gaza.
A recent breakthrough came when Hamas agreed to accept reassuring language from a UN Security Council resolution instead of demanding a written guarantee on a permanent end to fighting. The resolution states, "If the negotiations take longer than six weeks for phase one, the ceasefire will still continue as long as negotiations continue." According to the report, both Israel and Hamas have reportedly signaled acceptance of an "interim governance" plan for Gaza, where neither would rule. Security would be provided by a US-trained force backed by moderate Arab allies. US mediators received crucial support from Qatar and Egypt in pressuring Hamas and addressing border security concerns. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant noted "progress ... with Egypt" toward a plan "that will stop smuggling attempts and will cut off potential supplies for Hamas."
If the ceasefire deal is finalized, it could pave the way for additional regional developments, including a potential withdrawal of Hezbollah forces from the Lebanon-Israel border and progress on normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. As negotiations continue, a White House official told The Washington Post, "fingers crossed."
