TEHRAN - The latest trip of the top American diplomat to the region has raised questions about the true intentions behind Washington’s much-trumpeted ceasefire proposal that was outlined with the aim of ending Israel’s brutal war on the Gaza Strip.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday night, the US secretary of state said his country’s so-called “bridging proposal” for a ceasefire deal in Gaza “needs to get done, and it needs to get done in the days ahead”.

Antony Blinken made the comments in the Qatari capital where he wrapped up his regional tour which saw him visit Israel and Egypt. 

He also reiterated his call for Hamas to accept the proposal which aims to narrow the gaps between the resistance group and Israel. 

Washington, Cairo and Doha have been working to broker a truce between Israel and Hamas.  

Senior officials from the three countries held talks with an Israeli delegation in Qatar last week. But the negotiations did not make a breakthrough. They are expected to continue the talks in the Egyptian capital. 

Hamas negotiators are not directly participating in these talks. 

The movement says the latest US proposal veers too closely to demands made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  

Hamas agreed in principle to a ceasefire plan laid out by President Joe Biden on May 31 which was later endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. The three-phase plan would lead to the release of remaining captives held in Gaza and bring an end to Israel’s genocidal war in the Palestinian territory. 

Presently, Israel stands accused of hamstringing the ceasefire process by adding demands to the Biden plan which has become a major point of contention in negotiations.

These demands include Israeli presence on the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors. The first corridor separates Egypt’s Sinai from the Gaza Strip and the second one divides northern and southern Gaza. 

Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the Israeli army will not abandon the two strategic corridors, which clearly breaches the terms of the Biden ceasefire plan that was approved by the Security Council. 

Earlier, a report in US publication Axios quoted Netanyahu as saying he may have convinced Blinken that Israel should keep troops in the Philadelphi corridor.

But the US administration has apparently rejected the report. 

“The United States does not accept any long-term occupation of Gaza by Israel,” Blinken said in Doha. 

A White House spokesperson also said it is “totally untrue” that the Israeli premier had told the US secretary of state that his regime would never leave the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors. 

Netanyahu has publicly stressed that he does not want a permanent end to the Gaza war. He is only after a temporary ceasefire to secure the release of the remaining captives in Gaza. 

The US is also well aware of the Israeli prime minister’s intention. Hence, Blinken’s ninth regional visit is nothing more than a flight of fancy. 

Netanyahu does not want a permanent ceasefire because it would lead to hardliners in his cabinet walking out and collapsing it. Then, he would be held accountable for failing to prevent the Al-Aqsa Strom, a surprise military operation carried out by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7.

More than 1,100 people were killed in the operation and about 250 others were taken captive. Hamas freed more than 100 captives following a swap deal in November. Dozens of the captives are still held in Gaza.

Israel’s war on Gaza which erupted after the Hamas’ attack has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 Palestinians so far. 

Israel makes excuses and sets new conditions to prolong the war and shifts the blame on Hamas. The US also appeases Israel and points its finger at Hamas. 

So, Blinken’s ulterior motive for trumpeting the US ceasefire proposal is to keep up appearances as the Biden administration remains under domestic and international pressure to end its support for Israel’s genocidal war and stop arming the regime.  

Currently, the Democratic National Convention, which kicked off in Chicago on Monday, has been overshadowed by protests organized by anti-war and pro-Palestine demonstrators calling for an end to weapons transfers to Israel. 

The US also fears that if talks completely collapse, the Gaza war could morph into a broad regional war. In that case, Washington would have to pay a heavy price amid rising regional sentiment against its unwavering support for Israel’s onslaught