Those fears, though expressed privately, stand in stark contrast to what U.S. officials telecasted last week.
After negotiators met in Cairo on Aug. 26, Biden officials said the talks were on track and that they were optimistic a deal would soon be reached.
All that was left to work out were a few minor details, they said at the time.
But those small details have since become major hurdles, and they are proving much more difficult to overcome than some inside the administration initially anticipated.
The main sticking point between the two sides is the presence of Israeli troops along the Philadelphi Corridor — a small strip of demilitarized borderland that separates Gaza from Egypt.
There are also simultaneous negotiations taking place with Egypt about who will control the official border between Egypt and Gaza known as the Rafah crossing.
And the president grew particularly emotional after the death this weekend of an American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who had been held captive in the Gaza tunnels, the officials said.
Following the hostage deaths Sunday, Netanyahu made a speech, saying he would not compromise on the issue of the Philadelphi Corridor and batted down any suggestion that he was not prioritizing bringing Israelis home from Gaza.
“If we do leave [the Philadelphi Corridor], we may not return for 42 years,” he said.
On Monday, U.S. officials were still adamant that a deal is possible, but they backed off their previously confident rhetoric that an agreement was close.
Even though those worries aren’t publicly acknowledged, they are very different from what the U. S. Last week, officials broadcast live.
Following their August meeting in Cairo, the negotiators. 26, Biden representatives expressed optimism that a deal would be reached soon and stated that the talks were proceeding as planned. At that point, they said, all that remained to iron out were a few small details.
These minor details, however, have grown into significant obstacles that are proving far harder to overcome than some administration insiders had first thought.
The presence of Israeli troops along the Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow stretch of demilitarized borderland separating Gaza from Egypt, is the primary point of contention between the two sides.
In order to stop the militant group from smuggling weapons and fighters across the border with Egypt through a rumored network of tunnels, Netanyahu wants to station at least some of his troops there. Concurrent negotiations are underway with Egypt regarding the ownership of the Rafah crossing, which is the official border between Egypt and Gaza. The international negotiation team, made up of delegates from Egypt, Israel, Qatar, and the U.S. s. has talked about hiring a third party to run the crossing in the past.
The negotiation’s current state was not addressed by the National Security Council.
Since the Israeli prime minister was asked if he was doing enough to seal the deal, President Joe Biden has become progressively more irritated with Netanyahu. This was evident over the weekend when Biden curtly replied, “no,” to a reporter.
According to two officials not allowed to publicly discuss private conversations, some of Biden’s senior aides were not surprised by the president’s bluntness because they had seen the president grow jaded toward his Israeli counterpart due to the perception that Netanyahu is prolonging the war in order to stay in power.
According to the officials, Biden has always believed that reaching a cease-fire agreement prior to the election would strengthen his own reputation and improve Vice President Kamala Harris’ chances of winning in November. If Harris prevails, Biden’s historical record would also be enhanced.
Furthermore, according to the officials, the president became extremely upset following the death this past weekend of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American citizen who had been imprisoned in the Gaza tunnels. After listening to Polin’s parents’ heartfelt plea at the DNC last month, Biden told aides that their months of worry followed by abrupt grief reminded him of his own son Beau’s agonizingly slow death from cancer.
Israel and Hamas appear to be growing more tense in the meantime.
In a speech following the hostage deaths on Sunday, Netanyahu reaffirmed his position on the Philadelphia Corridor and refuted any insinuations that returning Israelis from Gaza was not a top priority.
“We might not come back for 42 years if we do leave [the Philadelphi Corridor].”. “This corridor is unlike any other location because it is central and shapes our entire future. “.
With a promise to release more in the next few days, including what the group has called their “final messages,” Hamas released video footage of the six hostages who were killed on Sunday. “.
The government is being urged to expeditiously reach a cease-fire agreement and rescue the remaining hostages, while hundreds of thousands of Israelis have demonstrated in Israeli cities.
On Monday, the U. s. While officials maintained that a deal is still possible, they softened their earlier assurances that a deal was imminent.
Spokesman for the National Security Council John Kirby said, “I can’t guarantee a certain outcome; we just believe it is an outcome that is possible.”. It isn’t hopeful. It is practicality. “.
Kirby upheld the administration’s earlier claims, claiming that they “were accurate.”. “.
“However, we never claimed it would be simple,” he added. I am unable to provide you with a timeline. “.
The report was authored by Eric Bazail-Eimil.
