US President Joe Biden.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Washington: President Joe Biden and the leaders of Egypt and Qatar said Thursday that they were prepared to present a "final" cease-fire proposal to end the war in the Gaza Strip and called on Israel and Hamas to return to the negotiating table next week to settle the conflict.
In a joint statement, Biden, along with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar, declared that "the time has come" to conclude the deal for a cease-fire and the release of hostages abducted to Gaza and Palestinian detainees held by Israel. They insisted that the negotiators meet in Cairo or Doha, Qatar, next Thursday.
"There is no further time to waste nor excuses from any party for further delay," the three leaders said in the statement. "It is time to release the hostages, begin the cease-fire and implement this agreement. As mediators, if necessary, we are prepared to present a final bridging proposal that resolves the remaining implementation issues in a manner that meets the expectations of all parties."
Cease-fire talks have been on hold after a meeting last weekend in Cairo produced no breakthrough, and the process has been complicated by the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, who had been leading the negotiations through intermediaries. Biden has expressed frustration at Israel's decision to carry out the operation that killed Haniyeh in Iran at a time when the president had hoped the cease-fire talks were close to success.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel indicated minutes after the joint statement by Biden and the other leaders that he would agree to the meeting. "In the wake of the offer by the United States and the mediators, Israel will send the negotiating delegation on August 15 to whichever place is decided upon, so as to agree upon the details for the implementation of the framework deal," his office said in a statement.
But it is not clear how willing Netanyahu is to reach a deal. His own security officials have privately complained that the prime minister is holding up talks by, among other things, reintroducing a demand that had been softened by his negotiators. The prime minister has, in turn, accused his security officials of being bad negotiators.
Nor is it clear that Hamas is ready or able to make an agreement. The group did not immediately respond to the joint statement by Biden and the others, and it remained uncertain who would show up for negotiations now that Haniyeh is dead even if the group does return to the table.
Hamas named Yahya Sinwar, one of the architects of the deadly Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, to replace Haniyeh, but he is believed to be hiding in Gaza and not easily or quickly reached by intermediaries. Even while Haniyeh was alive, Sinwar was said to be the one calling the shots from his sanctuary, and no one expects him to emerge publicly.
A senior Biden administration official said that the joint statement arose out of discussions this week among the president, el-Sissi and Al Thani. The official did not describe what a "final bridging proposal" would look like but said that the framework agreement already on the table could be finalized, with some concessions on details, like the sequencing of releases of hostages and prisoners.
The official, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations, said there were four or five issues that needed to be resolved to complete the cease-fire agreement and added that they could be managed if there were sufficient will on both sides. But he cautioned that the meeting next Thursday, should it happen, would only resume the negotiating process and warned against expecting the agreement to be wrapped up that day.
In a statement of its own, an Israeli body representing the families of many of those abducted by Hamas during the October 7 attacks welcomed the call by Biden and the other leaders. Around 115 hostages remain in Gaza, according to Israeli authorities.
"This recent statement reaffirms what we've long known: A deal is the only path to bring all hostages home," the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said. "Time is running out. The hostages have no more time to spare. A deal must be signed now!"
The US-led push to renew talks comes at a moment of high tension in the region because of the assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah figure in Lebanon. Both Hezbollah and Iran have vowed to retaliate against Israel, and the United States has ordered more warships and aircraft to deploy to the region to help defend its ally against any such attacks.
Biden met in the Oval Office on Thursday with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other officials to review military preparations, and his team repeated the US determination to stand by Israel. At the same time, Biden and his advisers have urged Israel to think twice about an expansive counter-retaliation that could escalate into a regional war.
US officials in recent days have expressed tentative optimism that any action taken by either side may yet be relatively measured, allowing various players to save face without triggering a more explosive conflict. But if that does not bear out, then it could make any return to the bargaining table next week problematic, at least.