BUELLTON, Calif. (AP) — The White House said Friday that cease-fire talks in Cairo have been constructive and will continue over the weekend as the U.S. and Mideast allies continue to press Israel and Hamas to forge an agreement.
Israel and Hamas have been at loggerheads over the Philadelphi corridor alongside Gaza’s border with Egypt and the Netzarim east-west corridor across the territory.
Hamas is demanding a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Asked whether Netanyahu was negotiating in good faith, Kirby noted that Biden had a “constructive” conversation Wednesday with Netanyahu.
That conversation came after a round of negotiations in Doha that White House officials said showed promise that a deal was close.
He told reporters after delivering an address at the Democratic convention that “Hamas was now backing off,” but that the U.S. is “going to keep pushing” to land a cease-fire deal.
Biden in a Wednesday call with Netanyahu “stressed the urgency of bringing the ceasefire and hostage release deal to closure,” according to the White House.
Still, Panikoff said Netanyahu’s and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s skepticism about the peace effort remains a difficult obstacle to overcome.
BUELLTON, CA. The White House announced on Friday that the cease-fire negotiations in Cairo have been fruitful and will go on into the weekend as the U.S. s. Mideast allies are still exerting pressure on Israel and Hamas to reach a consensus.
Leading the U.S. efforts are CIA Director William Burns and Brett McGurk, President Joe Biden’s senior Middle East advisor. S. side of talks that got underway on Thursday, despite significant disagreements between Israel and Hamas over Israel’s demand to keep troops stationed in two vital Gaza corridors.
According to John Kirby, the national security spokesperson for the White House, “progress has been made. Now, we need for both sides to come together and work towards implementation.”. “.
While Kirby did not specify the areas in which progress had been made, he did stress that the discussions among the U.S. mediators had gained momentum. S. Egypt and Qatar are the intermediaries between Israel and Hamas.
Breaking from his family vacation in Santa Ynez Valley, California, on Friday, Biden called Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to discuss the negotiations’ latest developments.
Following the recent targeted killings of militant Hamas and Hezbollah leaders—both of which were blamed on Israel—and threats of retaliation, diplomatic efforts have increased as concerns about a wider regional conflict are growing.
Regarding the Philadelphi corridor, which runs parallel to Gaza’s border with Egypt, and the Netzarim east-west corridor, which spans the region, Israel and Hamas have been at odds. Israeli forces must completely leave Gaza, according to Hamas demands.
Netanyahu is adamant about Israel maintaining control over the Philadelphia corridor in order to stop Hamas from regaining weapons and to stop the horrors of October 13 occurring again. seventy-one assault on Israel. Furthermore, he refuted rumors that Israel would consent to an international force stationed in the corridor.
Rejecting the claim that Netanyahu was “blocking any chance to reach a cease-fire deal,” Hamas released a statement on Friday. “.
An Egyptian government statement stated that El-Sissi emphasized in his call with Biden the significance of Israel and Hamas “demonstrating flexibility to complete the agreement” in order to “spare the region the scourge of expanding the conflict.”.
When asked if Netanyahu was negotiating in good faith, Kirby replied that Biden and Netanyahu had a “constructive” talk on Wednesday.
“We are in the city of Cairo. According to Kirby, they are in Cairo. “Hamas must take part in this. In order to lock in these specifics, we must get down to business. And that’s what this situation is all about. “.
The Oct. marked the start of the war. 7 attack, during which 1,200 people, primarily civilians, were killed and 250 were kidnapped as Hamas and other militants overran Israel. The local Health Ministry in Gaza reports that over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive that was launched in response; the ministry does not differentiate between civilians and militants.
Following his phone conversations with the emir of Qatar and the president of Egypt last week, Biden expressed his “optimism” that a deal could be reached. Following rounds of talks in Doha, which White House officials claimed indicated signs of a close deal, that conversation took place.
By Tuesday, though, Biden had become noticeably more reserved when it came to the likelihood that the two sides would soon reach a consensus. Following his remarks at the Democratic convention, he informed reporters that “Hamas was now backing off,” but that the U.S. S. aims to reach a cease-fire agreement by “going to keep pushing.”.
According to the White House, Biden “emphasized the urgency of bringing the ceasefire and hostage release deal to closure” during a call with Netanyahu on Wednesday.
According to a person with knowledge of the leaders’ conversation who offered their anonymity, Biden also made it clear to Netanyahu that both Hamas and Israel would need to make concessions.
The families of Israeli hostages, meanwhile, expressed their rage at Netanyahu’s inability to broker a cease-fire agreement that would enable their loved ones to be released from Hamas captivity by saying that they met with him on Friday “to understand what could still be more important than freeing their loved ones.”.
According to representatives of the Hostages Family Forum, a group that advocates for the families of hostages, Netanyahu reaffirmed his pledge to use all available means to ensure the safety of their loved ones. Over a hundred Israeli hostages are still held captive in Gaza, many of them are thought to be dead.
“This is only valid within a specific time period,” stated Yizhar Lifshitz, the son of hostage Oded Lifshitz, whose mother was abducted and released by Hamas in October of last year. Domestic pressure on Netanyahu to accept a cease-fire that might save the lives of the captives has increased following the disclosure on Thursday that the autopsies of six captives, retrieved by Israeli troops from an underground tunnel in southern Gaza, were abundantly clear of bullet wounds.
According to Ella Ben Ami, the daughter of Israeli hostage Ohad Ben Ami, she departed from her meeting with Netanyahu “feeling heavy and difficult, fearing for my father’s life, the girls there, and everyone.”. “.
The discussions may be making headway regarding the Israel Defense Forces’ presence at the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors as well as disagreements over which Palestinian prisoners should be released, according to Jonathan Panikoff, director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council.
Panikoff added that it will be challenging to overcome Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, and Netanyahu’s skepticism regarding the peace process.
“There’s no indication yet that Sinwar is offering the flexibility that would be required to reach a deal,” he continued, even if Netanyahu reacts favorably to President Biden’s push to loosen some of his requirements. “.
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Ellen Knickmeyer reported from Washington, while Frankel reported from Jerusalem. Reporting was provided by Abby Sewell in Beirut.
