President Joe Biden has stated that there is now a possibility of a ceasefire in Gaza and has warned the parties involved in the Middle East not to undermine ongoing negotiations. These negotiations aim to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. On Friday, Biden informed the media that an agreement is “much, much closer” than before, but emphasized that “we are not there yet.” “There are a few more questions. I believe we have a chance,” said the president.
Previous attempts by Biden’s administration to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza have been unsuccessful, leading to increasing criticism of the president for appearing reluctant to use his influence over Israel. As part of the diplomatic efforts, Biden announced that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to the Middle East starting Saturday to continue the negotiations. Biden also revealed that he has held talks with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, both of whom expressed strong support for the U.S. efforts.
In Doha, where negotiators from Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. are working to formulate an agreement regarding Gaza, the ceasefire negotiations were paused on Friday but are expected to resume next week with the hope of finalizing an agreement in Cairo. “The path is now set for this outcome that can save lives, bring relief to Gaza, and de-escalate regional tensions,” stated Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. in a joint declaration on Friday.
A senior U.S. official described the recent diplomatic efforts as the most productive in months. The official, who wished to remain anonymous, noted that in the last 48 hours there has been a “consensus” among the participants that there is a new spirit towards reaching a conclusion. “We have made significant progress on the various issues we have been working on,” said the official.
Marwan Bishara, a senior political analyst for Al Jazeera, observed that there is “a sense of optimism” surrounding the negotiations. He added that the negotiators have been able to “bridge the gap” regarding the exchange of Hamas hostages and Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Other challenges include determining who will control the Gaza-Egypt border after the war, as well as facilitating the movement of Palestinians within Gaza, he stated.
An Israeli delegation and mediators launched the latest round of negotiations on Thursday, which have been ongoing for months to end the war in Gaza, which has resulted in the loss of at least 40,000 Palestinian lives. The Palestinian group Hamas was not directly involved in the negotiations but has been kept informed of the developments.
The Israeli delegation included leaders from Mossad, Shin Bet, and the military’s chief negotiator for hostage situations. The White House sent CIA Director Bill Burns and U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East Brett McGurk. Also present at the negotiations were Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Egypt’s intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.
Washington hopes that a ceasefire agreement in Gaza can reduce the risk of a larger conflict, especially in light of warnings from Iran that it would retaliate against Israel following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.