Negotiations between Israel and Hamas begin in Egypt. What the media is writing
Israel and Hamas will hold talks in Egypt on the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip. The plan of the US President Donald Trump became the main one for the dialogue. The head of the White House convinced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to his terms. What the media write about a possible solution to the Middle East conflict is in the Izvestia digest.
Associated Press: Israel and Hamas are preparing for talks in Egypt
Israel and Hamas are preparing for indirect talks in Egypt on October 6. Hopes for a possible cease-fire in the Gaza Strip have increased after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the release of hostages could be announced this week. The talks will take place on the eve of the two-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.
Associated Press
President Donald Trump welcomed Hamas' statement on the acceptance of some elements of the US peace plan. Israel has expressed support for the new US efforts. According to the plan, Hamas must release the remaining 48 hostages (about 20 of whom are believed to be still alive) within three days. The Organization must relinquish power and disarm.
A delegation led by chief Israeli negotiator Ron Dermer will travel to Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday for talks, Netanyahu's office said. The Egyptian representative also announced the arrival of the Hamas delegation. The same official, who wished to remain anonymous, noted that US Special Representative Stephen Witkoff would join the talks. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said discussions would focus on a proposed hostage exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Financial Times: how Trump cornered Netanyahu
Two weeks before traveling to the United States to discuss Trump's plan, Netanyahu addressed his far-right supporters in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank and vowed that there would be no Palestinian state. Then, sitting in a New York hotel room with his closest advisers and U.S. representatives, he studied a draft peace plan that ended in exactly the opposite. It wasn't the only blow. Trump's draft document was the result of active lobbying by Muslim countries, which took advantage of the president's displeasure over the Israeli strike on Doha.
Financial Times
Trump wanted to secure the release of 48 Israeli hostages held by Hamas, end the war in the Gaza Strip, and fulfill his dream of a large-scale rapprochement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The timing was not accidental, said two Israeli officials involved in the negotiations. Trump has made it clear that he wants the war to end by the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the conflict. The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, which Trump is seeking, will also be announced this month.
In order to free all the hostages at once and launch his grandiose plan for the Middle East, Trump needed Netanyahu to make concessions and present a post-war plan. This was necessary not only to convince Hamas, for which hostages are the only real leverage, but also to appease Washington's allies in the Persian Gulf, whom Netanyahu had antagonized by Israel's belligerence in the Middle East. The strike on Qatar "actually opened the door to all of this," said a former U.S. official in touch with Middle Eastern leaders.
The New York Times: Netanyahu sees the Gas deal as a personal victory
In recent days, Netanyahu has taken great personal credit for developing a plan to free all remaining Hamas hostages and end the two-year war in Gaza. But it was clear to Israelis, Palestinians, and other residents of the region that Trump was the mastermind. On Saturday, the US president suggested that he had managed to force the indecisive Netanyahu to accept these conditions.
The New York Times
"I said, 'Bibi, this is your chance to win,'" Trump said, referring to Netanyahu and his nickname. "He was fine with it," Trump continued, adding, "He has to come to terms with it. He has no choice. You have to put up with me." According to analysts, Netanyahu is unable to challenge Trump, faced with international condemnation of Israel's actions in the war and growing international isolation, which increases his dependence on the United States.
For several months, Netanyahu has been forced to maneuver subtly. He was determined to fulfill his promise of total victory over Hamas and ensure his own political survival. At the same time, the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip has caused widespread outrage. Polls have shown that the majority of Israelis, who have long been skeptical about the prospects of "total victory," are in favor of ending the war in order to return the hostages.
The Guardian: Trump called for rapid progress in negotiations
Trump called on the parties to "act faster" in negotiations dedicated to the release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and a broader end to the war. In a message on social media, the US president noted that negotiations were progressing quickly, adding that the first stage "should be completed this week." His words inspired the audience amid the ongoing Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip, which killed 63 people on Sunday.
The Guardian
Israeli government spokesman Shosh Bedrosian told reporters that the talks in Egypt "will be limited to a maximum of a few days." According to Trump, the release of hostages and the exchange of prisoners would mean an immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza. After Hamas partially accepted its plan to end the nearly two-year-old war in Gaza on Friday, the United States, Israel and Hamas said they considered a cease-fire possible.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the negotiations in Egypt are "as close to the release of all hostages as possible." He warned that negotiations could still stall due to logistical issues, and that it was necessary to work out the details of the hostages' release. Rubio added that the implementation of the agreement is fraught with long-term difficulties, in particular, with the creation of a technocratic governing body for Gaza instead of Hamas. He stressed that the current priority is to release the hostages and ensure the withdrawal of Israeli troops to the agreed line in Gaza.
CNN: Uncertainty about Trump's plan remains
The release of the remaining 48 hostages within 72 hours and agreement to relinquish power in the Gaza Strip were two key requirements of Trump's proposal. Hamas's acceptance of these two conditions paves the way for a cease-fire agreement. However, the final ceasefire agreement is still far from being finalized.
CNN
The Hamas response makes no mention of disarmament or decommissioning of weapons, another important part of Trump's proposal that Hamas has repeatedly rejected. The Hamas response also fails to mention the creation of an international oversight committee headed by Trump, which he dubbed the "Peace Council," to oversee governance in Gaza.
Instead, Hamas stated in general terms that the remaining issues mentioned in the American proposal would be discussed in the future. Hamas also insists that it "will be included and will contribute responsibly" to a "comprehensive national Palestinian structure." This statement contradicts Trump's demand that Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza play no role in governing the affected territory.
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