Biden speaks to Qatar, Egypt leaders ahead of key meeting on Gaza hostage talks
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President Biden in the Oval Office on Dec. 9, 2023. Photo: Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images
President Biden spoke separately on Friday with the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to discuss the efforts to secure the release of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, the White House said.
Why it matters: The calls are part of a push by Biden personally and his team for a new hostage deal that could lead to a two-month pause in the fighting in Gaza and open the way for ending the war.
- Qatar and Egypt are the key mediators in the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas over a possible hostage deal.
Driving the news: Biden made the calls ahead of a critical meeting in Europe on Sunday between CIA director Bill Burns, the Qatar prime minister and the Egyptian and Israeli spy chiefs that is aimed at reaching a breakthrough in the negotiations.
- Brett McGurk, Biden's senior Middle East adviser, visited Cairo and Doha earlier this week to discuss the status of the negotiations.
What they're saying: Biden and the Qatari emir "affirmed that a hostage deal is central to establishing a prolonged humanitarian pause in the fighting and ensure additional life-saving humanitarian assistance reaches civilians in need throughout Gaza," the White House said in a readout of call.
- "They underscored the urgency of the situation, and welcomed the close cooperation among their teams to advance recent discussions," the readout added.
- White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Friday the U.S. is "hopeful" about the progress in the talks but "doesn't expect imminent developments" towards a deal.
State of play: A senior Israeli official said the negotiations are difficult, complex and slow but it seems both sides want to make progress and succeed in reaching an agreement.
- The official said the aim of the meeting in Europe on Sunday is to coordinate and synchronize between the two mediators and find a way to make progress on the two main sticking points.
- Hamas' demand that Israel commit to ending the war after the hostages are released is a red line for Israel, the official added.
- There's also a huge gap between the number of Palestinian prisoners Hamas wants to be released and the number Israel is willing to release, according to the Israeli official.
Go deeper: U.S. pauses funding to UNRWA after 12 staffers accused of involvement in Oct. 7 attack
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional details from the calls.
