President Joe Biden has indicated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given negotiators the green light to pursue a potential ceasefire deal with Hamas, aimed at securing the release of hostages in Gaza. This development comes amid ongoing tensions and contrasting public statements from both sides.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during a news conference in Tel Aviv, acknowledged that Hamas’s response to a proposed deal contained elements that were “non-starters.” However, he emphasized that there was still room to “pursue negotiations.” Blinken’s remarks stood in stark contrast to Netanyahu’s earlier statements, where he labeled Hamas’s conditions as “delusional” and reiterated Israel’s commitment to continue its military campaign until achieving “complete victory.”
The ambiguity surrounding Netanyahu’s comments left it unclear whether he was referring to the Hamas response to a broad hostage release framework negotiated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, or to the framework itself. Netanyahu warned that conceding to Hamas’s demands would only lead to further violence, stating, “By giving in to Hamas demands, we will only invite another massacre.”
Despite Netanyahu’s firm stance, Blinken expressed optimism about the potential for an agreement. “We see in what was sent back space to continue to pursue an agreement,” he said, adding that the U.S. is intent on pursuing it. U.S. officials anticipate that both Hamas and Israel will continue to publicly posture against the proposal as a negotiating tactic.
Blinken’s visit to the region, his fifth since the Israel-Hamas conflict began, included stops in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the West Bank. His primary goal in Israel was to make progress on the hostage release proposal and address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The proposed framework, presented to Hamas and Israel, includes an initial six-week pause in fighting, during which all civilian hostages held by Hamas in Gaza would be released. In return, Israel would release three Palestinian prisoners for every hostage freed and take steps to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani described Hamas’s reply as “positive” and confirmed it had been passed along to Israel. The text of Hamas’s response, published by the Hezbollah-aligned al-Akhbar newspaper and verified by several Hamas officials, outlines three phases, each lasting 45 days. These phases involve waves of releases of Israeli hostages and the bodies of the dead, with Israeli troops repositioning away from populated areas in Gaza.
In exchange, Israel would release Palestinian prisoners, including all women, children, men over 50, and sick inmates held in Israeli prisons, as well as 1,500 male Palestinian prisoners, 500 of whom Hamas would choose from those serving life or long-term sentences. Hamas also demanded that at least 500 trucks of humanitarian aid enter Gaza daily, compared to the current rate of 100-200, and that displaced Gazans be allowed to return to their homes and move freely within the enclave.
The second phase would see Hamas release all male Israeli hostages in exchange for additional Palestinian prisoner releases, contingent upon the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all areas of Gaza. The final phase would involve the return of the remains of dead Israelis in exchange for the bodies of Palestinians held by Israel.
Approximately 100 hostages are believed to still be alive, with Hamas holding at least 31 bodies. During a previous pause in fighting in November, 105 hostages were released in exchange for more than 200 Palestinian prisoners.
Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, announced that a Hamas delegation would head to Cairo for talks convened by Egypt and Qatar. He accused Netanyahu of misleading the Israeli public and seeking to prolong the war, stating, “We submitted a realistic vision, a logical vision, and I believe this vision is going to be the basis for dialogue via mediators.”
The Israeli government faces intense pressure from the relatives of hostages to secure their release. Adina Moshe, a hostage released during the November pause, expressed concern that Netanyahu’s policy of eliminating Hamas could endanger the hostages. However, some families support the continuation of military operations until Hamas is eradicated from Gaza.
Miki Zohar, a minister from Netanyahu’s Likud party, indicated that Netanyahu would struggle to gain legislative approval for a deal involving the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages and a long-term ceasefire. He suggested that Israel would require more acceptable terms, such as a shorter cessation of fighting and a more reasonable number of prisoner releases.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has resulted in significant casualties, with more than 27,000 people killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Netanyahu announced that the IDF had been directed to launch operations in Rafah, one of Hamas’s last strongholds, while ensuring safe passage for civilians.
More than 1.2 million Palestinians are crammed into Rafah, most of them displaced multiple times from fighting farther north. Aid groups have warned of a looming famine, with many residents living in unsanitary conditions and struggling to find food or receive medical treatment.
Blinken emphasized the importance of protecting civilians and ensuring they receive the aid they need. He outlined key steps Israel needed to take to increase humanitarian assistance, including reopening roads to northern Gaza, strengthening military deconfliction with humanitarian providers, and expediting aid imports from neighboring Jordan.
The Biden administration faces significant domestic and international pressure to bring about a ceasefire. The U.S. hopes that an initial pause in fighting could pave the way for a more permanent resolution to the conflict, potentially including a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
However, Saudi Arabia has made it clear that it would only begin diplomatic relations with Israel if all Israeli occupation forces withdraw from Gaza and a viable Palestinian state is established. The Saudi Foreign Ministry reiterated its firm position that there would be no diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Source: The Washington Post, CNN
