Israeli Prime Minister's nod or "double-dealing" tactic? US Secretary of State states core point

Hopes for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip remain elusive as Israel remains firm in its demands, while Hamas is "hot under the collar" over this determination.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted a US-proposed ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. (Source: Getty Images)

According to information from Axios , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is applying a "two-pronged" tactic in ceasefire negotiations with the Islamic movement Hamas. He shows a conciliatory stance with the US but is tough with negotiators.

According to this page, the Israeli Prime Minister committed to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to reach an agreement on the return of hostages and a ceasefire. However, he did not create flexible conditions for negotiations, refusing to make concessions.

On August 18, the Israeli negotiating team said that if there was flexibility, reaching an agreement was entirely possible, but Mr. Netanyahu criticized the negotiating team for not reaching a consensus.

Israeli negotiators warn that if they continue to maintain their current stance, a deal will be impossible, but the country's far-right government leaders believe that if they persist, Hamas will have to make concessions.

On August 19, Secretary of State Blinken announced that Prime Minister Netanyahu had accepted the US proposal and urged Hamas to do the same. However, some Israeli officials said that Netanyahu only agreed to Washington's proposal after adding some amendments, knowing full well that Hamas would object.

And apparently, Hamas has rejected the latest proposal from the US side and blamed Israel's hardline stance, amid an optimistic statement from the White House that there has been significant progress in negotiations and President Joe Biden hopes to reach an agreement this weekend.

Unlike the US, mediating officials from Egypt and Qatar were less optimistic about real progress in the negotiations.

During a meeting with Mr. Blinken on August 20 in New Alamein, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty affirmed that a ceasefire is the only solution to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The upcoming round of talks requires "real political will" from Israel to end the conflict, he said, warning that the situation could spiral out of control and threaten regional peace if political will is lacking.

On the same day, President of this North African country Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi also had a discussion with UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, focusing on measures to restore peace and stability in the region, including efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the Israel-Hamas hostage exchange.

Regarding US Secretary of State Blinken's ninth trip to the Middle East since the conflict broke out in the Gaza Strip last October, also on August 20, speaking in Qatar, the diplomat said that there should be no time wasted in reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

Speaking to reporters at Doha airport as he prepared to return to Washington, Mr. Blinken affirmed that "time is of the essence" for a ceasefire agreement, and expressed opposition to Israel's "long-term" occupation of Gaza.

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