White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said Monday that U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan made significant progress toward a major bilateral security agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia during his recent weekend visit to the Gulf kingdom.
“We have achieved a near-final set of text on some of those bilateral agreements,” Kirby stated.
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White House national security communications adviser John Kirby
(Photo: AP/ Andrew Harnik)
However, Kirby avoided giving a clear answer regarding whether Israel had committed to establishing a Palestinian state during the talks, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected that pathway for the establishment of a future state. Kirby added that nothing has changed in Joe Biden's stance on establishing a Palestinian state, since he believes normalization is a pathway to achieving that.
Kirby also addressed the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. "I can’t, sadly, sit here and tell you that we’re closer right now than than we were a week or so ago. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop working on it," he said.
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U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant
(Photo: Defense Ministry)
Earlier on Monday, Sullivan met with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. During their meeting at Gallant’s office, the two discussed efforts to secure the release of hostages and the progress of the war in Gaza. Gallant emphasized to Sullivan that Israel is "committed to expanding ground operations in Rafah to dismantle Hamas and secure the return of the hostages."
According to a statement from the Defense Ministry, the two also discussed "the need to demonstrate the strength of the Israel-U.S. relationship in the face of Iran's aggression, both directly and through its proxies."
The statement added that "Gallant briefed Sullivan on Israel’s adjustments for evacuating the population from the Rafah area and providing adequate humanitarian responses." They also discussed the tensions in the north, with Gallant warning that Hezbollah’s continued aggression and refusal to reach an agreement could lead to significant escalation, which would be necessary for Israel to ensure the residents of the north can return to their homes.