Biden and Netanyahu discussed a ceasefire in Gaza amid US optimism for a deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden spoke on Sunday about efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage release agreement in the Israel-Hamas war.
Negotiations mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar last year have repeatedly stalled when they seemed close to an agreement. In recent days, US officials have said they hope to seal the deal.
The meeting between Biden and Netanyahu took place on Sunday, when David Barnea, head of Israel’s Mossad foreign intelligence agency, and Brett McGurk, Biden’s senior Middle East adviser, were in Doha, Qatar. Barnea’s presence, confirmed by Netanyahu’s office, meant that senior Israeli officials, who would have to sign off on any deal, were now involved in the negotiations.
Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, told CNN that McGurk is working on the final details of the text that will be presented to both sides. State of the Union. However, he said that he will not predict whether an agreement will be reached until January 20, the day of his inauguration.
“We’re very, very close,” he said. “Just because we’re still so close means we’re still far, because we’re not there until you cross the finish line.”
The White House and Netanyahu’s office confirmed the phone call between the two leaders without releasing details.
Only one brief truce was reached in the 15-month war, and that was in the first weeks of the fighting. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said this week that a deal was “very close” and that he hoped to complete it before handing over diplomacy to the incoming Trump administration.
A phased ceasefire is now being discussed, with Netanyahu saying he is committed only to the first phase, a partial release of hostages in exchange for a one-week cessation of hostilities.
Hamas insists on the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the largely devastated areas, but Netanyahu insists on destroying Hamas’ ability to fight in Gaza.
Talks between Israel and Hamas to broker a cease-fire and hostage-release deal have resumed in Cairo, and sources close to the talks say a deal could be signed in the coming days. Palestinians in southern Gaza say they hope this round of talks will lead to an end to the war and a return to life.
Issues in the talks include which hostages will be released in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, which Palestinian prisoners will be released and the extent of the withdrawal of Israeli troops from settlement centers in Gaza.
As a result of Israel’s campaign in Gaza, more than 46 thousand Palestinians, most of them women and children, died.
Israel’s campaign began with a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, in which the militants killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped about 250, according to Israeli reports.
The families of the nearly 100 hostages still held in Gaza are pressing Netanyahu to make a deal to bring their loved ones home. On Saturday night, the Israelis staged a demonstration again in Tel Aviv, displaying photos of the hostages.
In Gaza, Palestinians have been bracing for an end to Israel’s campaign that has devastated much of the territory and driven more than 80 percent of its 2.3 million people from their homes.
Mazen Hammad, who lives in the southern city of Khan Yunis, said: “Every day we hear that there are negotiations, but we don’t see anything.” “When we see it on the ground, we believe there is a ceasefire.”
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