The White House announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas were “closer” than ever to reaching an agreement on a ceasefire and hostage release.
“This proposal can only get done if both sides have a good proposal and both sides are open to it,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters. “We believe we have the closest relationship we’ve ever had.”
Kirby said the gap was narrowing and the U.S. believed a deal could be reached, but gave no time frame. The gap has to do with “implementation details that need to be worked out,” he said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said at a press conference on Tuesday that “negotiations have reached the final stage.”
“All parties agreed that this process needs to be concluded quickly,” Blinken said. “Concluding an agreement and avoiding any actions that could undermine it is the only path to ending the conflict in Gaza and bringing peace to the region. It is vital that all parties work to finalize an agreement as quickly as possible.”
Hamas is still holding about 115 hostages, and Israel is seeking their release in exchange for an exchange of Palestinian prisoners and a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, where more than 39,000 people have been killed since the war began on Oct. 7, according to local health officials.
The agreement, proposed by President Biden and endorsed by the United Nations, calls for a first phase of an interim ceasefire along with the release of the most vulnerable hostages and prisoners, after which negotiations would continue towards a permanent ceasefire and the release of additional hostages.
The talks have inched closer in recent weeks, with Biden meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to Washington last month to bridge the final gap.
But the talks have been put at risk by rising hostilities in the Middle East. Israel assassinated a Hezbollah leader in Lebanon last week, while Iran has blamed Israeli forces for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh last Wednesday.
Iran, which backs Hamas and Hezbollah, has vowed revenge, as has its network of proxies in the region.
Kirby said Wednesday that the United States was “working hard with a robust diplomatic effort” to avert escalation of tensions in the Middle East and reach an agreement for a ceasefire and hostage release.
“We are working very hard to prevent any escalation of tensions in the region,” Kirby said. “We do not want to see attacks. We will continue to look through diplomatic channels at what we can do to de-escalate tensions in the region.”
He added that if there was an attack, the US would “come to the defense of Israel with the full range of military capabilities.”
