Jonathan Pearlman
9–11 minutes
Great power rivalry
Gaza: The United States scrambled to secure support this week for a Gaza ceasefire deal, as Hamas demanded changes to a proposal endorsed by the United Nations Security Council but signalled it was open to further negotiations.
On Monday, the council voted 14-0 to back a US-sponsored three-phase plan that would begin with a six-week ceasefire, as well as the release of female, elderly and child hostages in Gaza and of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. The vote marked the first backing by the Security Council for a plan to end the war, although Russia abstained.
During a visit to the Middle East this week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had backed the deal and US officials were evaluating a response from Hamas. Blinken told reporters the deal was “what the world is looking for”.
The plan was reportedly an Israeli initiative and was endorsed by its war cabinet, though Netanyahu has been publicly equivocal and insisted the fighting will not end until Hamas is destroyed. Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners have said they will quit the coalition if the deal goes ahead.
A response issued by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad on Tuesday insisted on changes to the proposal, including a timeline for a permanent ceasefire. The groups said, however, they were ready to try “to reach an agreement that ends this war”.
Israel vowed to topple Hamas after militants from the group entered Israel on October 7, killing 1100 people and taking about 240 hostages. Israel’s military campaign has killed at least 37,164 people in Gaza, including more than 15,000 children, local officials say.
According to messages obtained by the The Wall Street Journal, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar told Hamas officials in Qatar he believed the group was winning the war, saying the civilian deaths were “necessary sacrifices”. “We have the Israelis right where we want them,” Sinwar reportedly said.
An Israeli special forces operation in Gaza last week freed four hostages, though about 80 others are believed to be held alive and 40 others have died. Gaza’s health ministry said 274 Palestinians were killed during the Israeli operation, which included air and ground attacks. Israel said it had responded to heavy fire.
In Gaza, residents this week expressed scepticism about the prospects of a ceasefire.
“We will believe it only when we see it,” Shaban Abdel-Raouf, a 47-year-old living with his family of five in central Gaza, told Reuters. “When they tell us to pack our belongings and prepare to go back to Gaza City, we will know it is true.”
Newsessentials Blog 
Posted on June 19, 2024
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