A senior American official said on Wednesday that he was optimistic that the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was "in its final stages." In a statement ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden's meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, the official acknowledged that while there are still some gaps to bridge, they are manageable and that the two leaders will attempt to resolve the outstanding issues when they meet.
The first phase of the agreement is expected to include the release of women, men over the age of 50, the sick, and the wounded from Hamas' captivity over a period of 42 days. "We have no time to waste as the lives of hostages are at risk," he said. The White House does not believe that Netanyahu was blocking the deal for political reasons: "There are two sides to bridge, and there has been progress because the Israelis have put a lot on the table. But the deal is not ready for signing; there is still work to be done," he said.
"What is new now is that until now, Hamas was entrenched in its position, insisting on a permanent ceasefire, a full withdrawal of Israeli forces, and then some vague promise to release a few hostages after that happens," the official said. "This was a stance that was clearly unacceptable."
He said a detailed outline of the arrangements on how a hostage exchange would take place, was drafted including significant benefits for Gaza residents and humanitarian aid. "The breakthrough a few weeks ago concerned the phased nature of the deal. Now we have an initial phase of releasing hostages – women, men over the age of 50, the sick, and the wounded – over a period of 42 days; and then, about halfway through, negotiations begin on the conditions for moving to the second phase."
The official added that Israel was ready to move forward with the first phase, "but we need things from Hamas, including a list of the hostages to be released and a timetable, and we will not start the deal without it. We expect the release of about 33 hostages in the first phase."
He also noted that during the meeting, Biden and Netanyahu will discuss the deal and other developments in the Middle East, as well as the U.S. commitment to Israel's security and the threats posed by Iran and its proxies, the Houthis, and Hezbollah. After their meeting, Netanyahu and Biden will meet together with the families of the American hostages at the White House.
Biden and Harris "aligned" ahead of Netanyahu meeting
According to the American official, Vice President Kamala Harris, who is expected to be the Democratic nominee for the U.S. presidency and who was absent from Netanyahu's speech to Congress last night, is "eagerly" awaiting her meeting with the Prime Minister. "She has been almost fully involved in everything we have done here over the past ten months, including all the conversations we have had with the Prime Minister and with the families of the hostages," he said.
The official stated that there are no gaps between Biden and Harris regarding the war: "They talk all the time. We know exactly what we want to try to do today, and I think they come to the meetings with the Prime Minister completely aligned. It is time to do everything in our power to close the hostage deal and bring them home, and we as an administration will continue to do everything we can to continue supporting Israel's self-defense against Iran, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and everyone else. So, the Prime Minister will hear from the President and the Vice President a complete alignment."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Netanyahu, after his speech to Congress, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to represent the State of Israel and its citizens at a critical moment in history, delivering a conciliatory Zionist message to the American people. He outlined his goals for the war, ensuring that Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel, that residents can return to their homes, and addressing the Iranian threat.
A political source added that "the Prime Minister proposed establishing a framework for a regional defense alliance in the Middle East, similar to NATO, with Israel, the U.S., and the countries that have peace agreements with us and those that will make them." According to him, this should be a goal for the free world against Iran, which threatens not only Israel but also the Middle East. This alliance is seen as a vital need for national security and the free world, as well as for the moderate Arab regimes.