Blinken's Optimism: Netanyahu Backs Ceasefire Proposal as Israel Faces Dual Front Challenges

A report by Amale Chehadeh, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine


Supported by a UN resolution endorsing President Joe Biden's proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken began his talks in Tel Aviv with some optimism.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed his commitment to implementing the Israeli proposal for a ceasefire, while Blinken stated that Hamas’s positive response to the UN Security Council resolution would make reaching a deal closer than ever.

Netanyahu's commitment to the proposal has given hope to Israelis and the families of the hostages. Details of the proposal suggest that the war will end within three months. According to the proposal, the deal will be implemented in three phases, with the first phase being the most significant:

- Thirty Palestinian hostages will be released for each Israeli civilian held by Hamas. If the released person is a female soldier, fifty Palestinian prisoners will be released in exchange.

- Israel has the right to exile fifty of the 250 senior Palestinian prisoners sentenced to death, either to Gaza or outside the country.

- On the first day of the deal, Hamas will release three civilian women. On the seventh day, it will release four female hostages, with three hostages being released every seven days thereafter, starting with civilian women and female soldiers.

- On the seventh day after the release of the hostages, Hamas will provide information about the remaining living hostages covered by the first phase, within a six-week period.

- In the first phase, Hamas will also release two hostages, Hisham al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu, who have been held for years. In return, Israel will release 47 Palestinian prisoners who were re-arrested after being released in the Gilad Shalit deal.

- The most important part of the first phase is Tel Aviv’s agreement to declare a complete ceasefire even before receiving their hostages, with Israel beginning and completing its withdrawal from the entire Gaza Strip during all stages of the deal.

According to those familiar with the document, the price for the return of the hostages and the cessation of the war includes providing US, Egyptian, and Qatari guarantees to Yahya Sinwar.

Amid this optimism, the Al-Aqsa Flood war enters its 249th day, with Israeli challenges increasing on both the Gaza and Lebanon fronts. In Gaza, Hamas has returned to guerrilla tactics, resulting in the deaths of four Israeli soldiers in Rafah. Meanwhile, it has become evident on the Lebanon front that the air defense system has failed to counter Hezbollah's drones, which have reached Haifa and the Golan Heights.

Additionally, the situation on the ground has been further complicated by the rising number of reservists refusing military service, especially after the Knesset passed a law exempting religious extremists from service. The army needs at least 15 combat units to carry out its missions.