Speaking on “CNN Newsroom” on Tuesday, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he didn’t know whether Israel wanted a ceasefire.
Host Wolf Blitzer asked, “A far-right official in the Israeli cabinet has made another provocative visit to the Al-Aqsa complex, a mosque built on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. The visit comes on Tisha Be’Av, the day when Jews commemorate the destruction of the Temple and a fasting day for many Jews. Hamas has condemned the visit, as have the families of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Do you think Israel wants a ceasefire?”
Meeks responded: “Well, I don’t know, I know what the administration has said publicly. [are] I don’t want to repeat the conversations we had in the classified sessions. But the administration has said publicly that if we don’t get an agreement soon, they will have talks with both sides about who is blocking the ceasefire. That will happen with Egypt and Qatar. They will talk about why the ceasefire is not moving forward. I met with the families of the hostages who were in Washington, DC, and I, like them, am anxious to see their loved ones come home and to see a ceasefire. So I hope that all the parties will come to the negotiating table. Let’s get this deal done. Let’s try to de-escalate what’s going on and hopefully move forward toward a two-state solution so that there’s peace in the region. Mr. Wolf, I have a problem with the number of innocent people dying. If we don’t get a ceasefire, I want to get rid of Hamas. I don’t want Hamas in power. But if things continue as they are, Hamas will gain new members and become more active. You kill some people, and you automatically get new members. This is not the path to Middle East peace.
Blitzer then asked, “Congressman, the latest update we’re getting is that intelligence sources are telling us that Hamas will return to negotiations on a ceasefire and the release of hostages on Thursday. What’s the latest update you’ve heard on this?”
Meeks responded, “I’ve heard Hamas has resisted, saying they’ve agreed to the principles before and they don’t want to budge. But I’ve heard Israel is there too, so that’s a good sign to me. I hope that nobody tries to impose new conditions on this. And let’s stick to the basic principles.” [what] The Biden ceasefire agreement is to allow us to act quickly and in an expedited manner.”
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