US Seeks to Use Israel-Hamas Hostage Negotiations as a Stepping Stone for Middle East Peace Talks

The United States is reportedly exploring ways to lay the groundwork for a Middle East peace conference through hostage negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas, Bloomberg News reported on the 26th (local time). In this regard, the news agency said that William Burns, Director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), plans to participate in new negotiations within days. Brett McGurk, the U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East, is currently dispatched to the region.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

This negotiation follows Special Envoy McGurk's mediation efforts to secure the release of most hostages held by Hamas on the condition of a ceasefire between the two sides for at least two months. A senior U.S. State Department official said that Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently spoke to Special Envoy McGurk and Director Burns about the new negotiations.

The ideal outcome envisioned by the U.S. is a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that would open the door to a Middle East peace conference. This would include talks to normalize relations between Israel and surrounding Arab countries, as well as discussions on a multinational plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip following the end of the war between Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip.

Israel normalized relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Morocco through the "Abraham Accords" mediated by the U.S. in 2020, and sought to establish diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, the Sunni Islamic powerhouse. However, related discussions were suspended after the war between Israel and Hamas began in October last year, and anti-Israel voices grew louder in Arab countries, increasing instability in the Middle East.

This proposal was conveyed through Qatar, which is mediating the negotiations with U.S. support. On the 26th, U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, to discuss the issue of hostage release. John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House National Security Council (NSC), said that Special Envoy McGurk will return after having "good discussions" with relevant countries in the Middle East. He stated, "We continue to do everything we can to facilitate additional hostage negotiations." It is estimated that about 130 hostages are currently held by Hamas.