Blinken Departs Middle East Without Ceasefire Deal

Latest Developments

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken departed from the Middle East empty-handed on August 20, having failed to secure an agreement after Hamas rejected the latest iteration of the Gaza ceasefire deal. Blinken made final stops in Egypt and Qatar during his ninth visit to the region since October 7 to push for continued negotiations on the deal, saying that the focus should be on getting Hamas on board, as Israel accepted the deal on August 19.

“Our message is simple. It’s clear and it’s urgent,” Blinken told reporters before his departure. “We need to get a ceasefire and hostage agreement over the finish line, and we need to do it now. Time is of the essence.” President Joe Biden, who introduced the original framework of the current ceasefire and hostage deal in May, said following his speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that “Israel says they can work it out, they’re prepared. But I was told Hamas is now backing off.”

Reuters reported that Hamas responded to Biden’s remarks by claiming that the current version of the deal, which the United States calls a “bridging proposal,” gives in to Israeli demands. “The proposal recently presented to us goes against what the parties had agreed on July 2, this is considered an American response and acquiescence to the terrorist Netanyahu’s new conditions and his criminal plans towards the Gaza Strip,” Hamas said. Axios reported on August 21 that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are expected to speak to Netanyahu to urge him to show more flexibility on the deal.

Expert Analysis

“The fundamental failure here is treating Hamas as a legitimate negotiating partner and Hamas supporters and facilitators as legitimate intermediaries. We need to stop pressuring Israel into national suicide and instead increase pressure on Iran, Qatar, Turkey, Lebanon, and Egypt while backing an Israeli offensive against the Iran terror axis.” — Richard Goldberg, FDD Senior Advisor

“Despite the Biden administration’s expressions of optimism about the possibility of reaching a deal, it has become evident that the United States lacks sufficient leverage over Hamas and its allies to compel the Islamist group to agree to acceptable terms. Rather than continuing to pressure all parties into a ceasefire — a strategy that has yielded minimal results — the United States should put its full weight behind Israel and support its goal of dismantling Hamas’s ability to operate in the Gaza Strip.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

Negotiation Sticking Points

Hamas has demanded a ceasefire that permanently ends Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip. Israel has demanded that its troops maintain control of the Philadelphi Corridor — a strip of land on the Gazan-Egyptian border — where Israeli troops have already discovered and destroyed dozens of tunnels used to resupply the Iran-backed terrorist group. Israel has also demanded the screening of Gazans returning to their homes in the north of the Strip in order to prevent terrorists from regrouping and rearming.

Few Public Details Available on Bridging Proposal

While details of the bridging proposal have not been made public, Blinken said the proposal is “very clear on the schedule and the locations of [Israeli troop] withdrawals from Gaza.” Officials familiar with the plan told The New York Times on condition of anonymity that the proposal would allow Israeli troops to continue patrolling the corridor in reduced numbers. Hamas and Egypt have publicly rejected allowing Israeli troops to remain on the border. Yet in the latest round of talks, Egypt agreed that “Israel would not have to set a deadline for its withdrawal,” according to Al-Monitor. Egyptian sources deny the claim. The Times also reported that U.S. officials asked Israel to delay “in-depth negotiations” on the screening of Gazans.

Related Analysis

“Ceasefire sticking points indicate Hamas’s plans to return to power,” by Seth J. Frantzman

“Blinken Delays Visit to Israel as Iran Threat Continues,” FDD Flash Brief

“Hamas Terrorist Released Through Ceasefire Deal Strikes Again in West Bank,” FDD Flash Brief

“Hamas Rejects Proposed Israeli Changes to Ceasefire Deal,” FDD Flash Brief