Former Israeli diplomat Alon Pincus predicted on Saturday that a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas is unlikely to be reached before President Biden leaves the White House early next year.
“It's almost zero, the chance is zero,” Pincus said. said Added NewsNation's Hena Doba in an interview on “Morning in America.”
“President Biden has persistently and decisively called for a ceasefire for more than a year, stating on more than one occasion that Israel has exhausted the military usefulness of the operation,” he continued. “Right now, he has 50 days, about 50 days, until he steps down on January 20th.”
Pincus said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a “vested interest” in delaying a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. In fact, Netanyahu is likely to hold out until President-elect Trump takes office, the former diplomat added.
“At that time, he wants to show it as some kind of gesture of goodwill towards his friend Donald Trump.”
His comments came days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his war cabinet had approved a cessation of fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon. President Biden congratulated the agreement brokered by the United States and France and said he would soon make a new push for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. President Trump's national security team has also been briefed on the details of the agreement, and tensions are high in the region.
“In the coming days, the United States, along with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others, will continue to work toward a ceasefire in Gaza that would allow for the release of hostages and an end to the war without Hamas's power,” Biden said. said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.S.C.), an ally of the president-elect, said President Trump wants the ceasefire in Gaza and the hostage deal completed before entering the Oval Office.
“President Trump is more determined than ever to free the hostages and supports a ceasefire that includes a hostage deal. He wants to see it happen now,” Graham said in November. spoke to Axios after his second visit to the Middle East.
Mr. Pincus suggested on Saturday that Mr. Netanyahu could begin to “manipulate” Mr. Trump if a ceasefire was not reached before Mr. Biden left office.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu will try to appease President Trump as usual and even try to manipulate President Trump,” he told Doba.
The diplomat suggested that Israeli leaders would tell the next president: [it] There's a small-scale operation, an intelligence invasion, that hasn't been announced yet, but Mr. President, please be patient. Whatever plans you have for the Middle East, they will be better off and more likely to come true if Hamas is removed. ”
He also suggested that Hamas would not be “eliminated” even if a ceasefire were reached.
“That's not happening, and it won't happen unless Israel occupies the entire Gaza Strip. As far as I know, Israel has no intention of doing that,” Pincus said.
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