Egyptian diplomats this week are “reworking” the Egyptian initiative proposed more than six weeks ago to end the war on Gaza. The aim is a two-phase solution: first, to establish a month-long ceasefire coupled with an immediate humanitarian mission for Gaza; second, a more comprehensive political scheme that would grant Gaza a gradual release from the seven-year Israeli siege and offer assurances to Israel that the Palestinian resistance will end the launching of missiles. “Our objective is to see an end to this war. We think we could do it in the next few days, provided that Qatar and Turkey, who have been both intervening in a very negative way, take their hands off,” said a senior Egyptian diplomat. The second phase should include, according to the same source, “political arrangements” that would end the absence of the Palestinian Authority (PA) from Gaza through two means: allowing representatives of the new coalition Palestinian government in Gaza, along with members of the Palestinian Presidential Guard. This, the sources added, would allow for the “regular” operation of the Rafah Crossing, the only non-Israeli controlled access point between the Strip and the outside world. “We made it crystal clear to all concerned that there is no way at all for us to operate the Rafah Crossing without the presence of the PA in Gaza. It is up to Hamas to make up its mind, and we will not be intimidated by any propaganda that is aired by [the Qatar-based] Al-Jazeera [television] against Egypt,” the same senior diplomat said. According to Cairo-based and New York-based diplomats, the UN Security Council should by the end of this week agree on — if not actually adopt — a resolution that would support this scheme, possibly with a direct reference to “the Egyptian initiative.” The draft, New York sources said, was being negotiated as Al-Ahram Weekly went to press. Two permanent members of the UN Security Council, France and Britain, proposed the first draft of a resolution, in consultation with regional capitals, including Doha and Ankara. This draft proposes that the UN Security Council “calls for an immediate ceasefire” to be followed by a series of steps to address the “humanitarian needs” of “the people of Gaza” and the “legitimate security demands” of Israel. Cairo sources say that Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, currently a non-permanent member on the UN Security Council, took exception to the draft because it “failed to be based upon the Egyptian initiative.” This, the sources explain, could have necessitated the launch of a whole new process of negotiations with no clear guarantees of a full halt to the war. “In other words, we could have been seeing the war continue, even if at a slower pace, while negotiations are conducted. This is no longer possible. The situation in Gaza is in a very bad shape, and things could get out of hand. The war has to stop as soon as possible,” according to the same senior diplomat. Israel also rejected the draft and said it fails to provide tight language on its security concerns. Both Jordan and the US, after consultations with Israel, proposed amendments to the original draft. Egypt would have preferred to see the matter not addressed in the UN Security Council because it wanted to be the sole broker of a truce/political deal, in keeping with long-standing Egyptian involvement in the Gaza file. Today, however, Cairo is willing to acknowledge political developments on the ground, provided it remains the “key broker” and a “key partner” in the follow-up and monitoring of the political deal. This week in Cairo, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas conveyed to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi the joint Qatari and Turkish commitment not to challenge the Egyptian role as the “key peacemaker in Gaza.” Egyptian diplomats are openly expressing scepticism over Qatari and Turkish intentions and say that both Doha and Ankara could still try to act as spoilers. According to one Egyptian government official, Qatar “was actually the one who pushed France and Britain through promises of lucrative arms deals to take the matter to the UN, and it pressured Hamas to refrain from a deal at the last minute by raising the ceiling far too high.” He added that a deal “in the offing on Tuesday” was on the table last week before Hamas decided that it was not satisfied with the steps of the gradual lift of the siege. A non-Hamas Palestinian participant in the Cairo talks disagreed with this narrative and said that the talks collapsed as Israel — not Hamas — raised the ceiling of its security demands. Today (Thursday) Cairo is hoping to see the return of the negotiating teams, both Palestinian and Israeli, or at least representatives of both sides to resume talks on the prompt execution of phase one: the ceasefire that Cairo is now backing in line with the 2012 parameters that were accepted at the time by both sides. This would mean that the resumption of the Cairo talks could start ahead of the UN Security Council resolution, which is not expected to be tabled before Friday, according to most diplomats who spoke to the Weekly. In a parallel effort, Cairo is working closely with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to provide Hamas — which is now essentially dependent on Qatar for refuge and finance — with alternative support. The Saudis are considering providing financial support while Abu Dhabi is considering the possibility of playing host for “a few members” of the Hamas leadership who cannot return to the occupied Palestinian territories. Cairo, which is currently hosting Hamas's effective second-in-command, Moussa Abou Marzouk, is also considering the option of expanding its hospitality to a few more Hamas leaders. Cairo is hoping that an end to the war on Gaza and the launch of the new scheme for relieving the besieged Strip could be put in motion before mid-September, as it plans — in cooperation with the government of Norway — to host a conference, probably in Sharm El-Sheikh, on the reconstruction of Gaza. Egypt's ultimate objective is to have stability restored in Gaza and to swiftly address its urgent humanitarian needs. This will relieve the pressure it is feared could explode on its eastern border at a time of other grave national security concerns. It also hopes to score a political victory in the face of what it considers a tough diplomatic offensive by Doha and Ankara.
