US, Hamas Hold First Direct Talks Since Gaza Ceasefire Took Effect, but Remain Deadlocked
Summary
- The US and Hamas held their first direct meeting in Cairo to restart talks on a Gaza ceasefire.
- Hamas called for full implementation of the first-stage agreement, including a halt to Israeli airstrikes and an expansion of humanitarian aid.
- Hamas criticized the US mediation proposal as biased toward Israel and said talks had reached an impasse over the disarmament condition.
Forecast Trend Report by Period
US, Hamas Hold Face-to-Face Talks
Sides Still Split Over Ceasefire Terms
The US and Hamas have held their first direct face-to-face meeting since the Gaza ceasefire took effect, seeking to restart stalled truce talks.
CNN reported the meeting on March 15, citing two Hamas sources. The report said a US delegation led by Aryeh Lightstone, a senior adviser to the Peace Commission, met in Cairo a day earlier with Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas's chief negotiator. Nikolay Mladenov, the Peace Commission's senior representative for Gaza, also attended.
At the meeting, al-Hayya called for full implementation of the first-stage agreement, including a halt to Israeli airstrikes and expanded humanitarian aid, as a precondition for moving to the second stage of the ceasefire, the sources said.
An American source said Israel had agreed to carry out the first-stage requirements if Hamas commits to disarmament.
Hamas has objected to the US mediation proposal, saying it favors Israel. A senior Hamas official said the proposal "reduces the entire process to a single clause -- disarmament -- while other first-stage requirements are delayed or sidelined."
"Israel's security is being treated as the top priority, while Palestinian humanitarian, political and administrative rights have been pushed aside," the official said.
The official also said Mladenov went so far as to deliver an implicit threat that rejecting the proposal would mean facing a resumption of war.
Israel and Hamas agreed last October to a three-stage ceasefire plan based on a proposal mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt.
Under the agreement, the first stage includes a halt in fighting, the release of Palestinian detainees and Israeli hostages, and a partial Israeli troop withdrawal. The second stage calls for a full Israeli withdrawal and Hamas's disarmament. The third stage covers postwar reconstruction.
The second stage began in January after the remains of the last Israeli hostage held by Hamas were returned. Talks then stalled as differences between Israel and Hamas over Hamas's disarmament, a precondition for the next phase, came into the open.
Lee Jung-woo, Hankyung.com reporter krse9059@hankyung.com
Korea Economic Daily
hankyung@bloomingbit.ioThe Korea Economic Daily Global is a digital media where latest news on Korean companies, industries, and financial markets.
