Mediators in ceasefire-hostage talks between Israel and Hamas are making a renewed push to bring the warring parties to the negotiating table, as fears of an imminent Iranian attack on Israel threaten to escalate the conflict into a wider regional war.
The leaders of the United States, Qatar and Egypt said on Thursday they may present what they called a “final bridging proposal” next week, urging Israel and Hamas to conclude a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza.
The three countries have been leading mediation efforts to strike a deal, and US officials claimed they were getting close before the political leader of Hamas, a principal negotiator on the deal, was killed last week in Iran in a blast widely believed to have been orchestrated by Israel. Israel hasn’t confirmed or denied responsibility.
On Thursday night, the mediators stepped up the pressure on Israel and Hamas to resume talks in either Cairo or Doha next week. A source familiar the discussions told CNN that a meeting is being planned for August 15 and is expected to happen, but Israel and Hamas need to confirm their attendance.
“The three of us and our teams have worked tirelessly over many months to forge a framework agreement that is now on the table with only the details of implementation left to conclude,” the three heads of state said in the statement.
“There is no further time to waste nor excuses from any party for further delay,” they added. “It is time to release the hostages, begin the ceasefire, and implement this agreement.”
The joint statement comes as the region braces for potential strikes against Israel by both Iran and Hezbollah – as well as other Iranian proxy groups – following the killing of top Hezbollah military commander Fu’ad Shukr and the Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, late last month.
“This situation is extremely dangerous,” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told CNN on Wednesday. “The threat of the region being dragged into a regional war is real.”
For months, Hamas and Israel have traded proposals and counterproposals, with help from the trio of mediators. On Thursday, the three mediators argued that they are “prepared to present a final bridging proposal that resolves the remaining implementation issues.”
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel will send a delegation to the talks.
“Following the proposal of the United States and the mediators, Israel will send on August 15 the negotiating delegation to a place to be determined to summarize the details for the implementation of the framework agreement,” according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office.
CNN has reached out to Hamas officials for comment.
Yahya Sinwar, a senior Hamas official and one of Israel’s most wanted individuals, has been named as the new political leader of the organization, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh, who was based in Qatar. Sinwar, reportedly hiding in a tunnel beneath Gaza, is difficult to reach and is considered a hardliner in his stance towards Israel.
Warning Israel and Iran
Washington has been warning both Israel and Iran against escalating the violence after 10 months of war in Gaza, in calls with Israel directly and indirect communications through allies to Tehran.
“The risk of a major escalation if they do a significant retaliatory attack against Israel is extremely high,” a US official said Iran was told.
Escalation would mean “a serious risk of consequences for Iran’s economy and the stability of its newly elected government if it goes down that path,” the official added.
The warnings are not meant to imply that the US would carry out its own military strikes against Iran, the official said.
The Biden administration is preparing to help defend Israel, as it did in mid-April during an unprecedented Iranian strike with over 300 drones and missiles. That attack was preceded by a suspected Israeli bombing of an Iranian diplomatic facility in Damascus.
The Wall Street Journal earlier reported the warning to Iran.
Just days before Haniyeh’s killing, the mediators met with Israel’s head of intelligence, Mossad director David Barnea, in Rome to receive Israel’s latest proposal. Barnea left after just a few hours following a strike attributed to Hezbollah in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights that killed a dozen people.
If a meeting happens next week, it would be the first movement on talks that were feared over following Haniyeh’s death, and would resurrect hopes that an agreement may be reached.
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum expresses “deepest gratitude” to the US, Qatar, and Egypt for their statement.
“A deal is the only path to bring all hostages home,” HMFF said in a statement on Thursday. “Time is running out. The hostages have no more to spare. A deal must be signed now!”
This story has been updated with additional developments.
