Jul 24, 2024 - World

Biden to press Netanyahu to close Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal in meeting

Barak Ravid

Hostage families and there supporters gather outside American consulate ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu speech at the US Congress to demanding the release of the hostages. — Hostage families and their supporters gather outside the American consulate In Israel on July 24, 2024 to demand the release of the hostages. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/picture alliance via Getty Images

President Biden is going to convey the message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in their Oval Office meeting tomorrow that "there is no time to waste" in getting a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza, according to U.S. officials.

Why it matters: Netanyahu's visit to Washington takes place at a critical moment in negotiations over the deal, which is the key to Biden's foreign policy strategy and legacy.

Driving the news: Biden said earlier this week that he is going to spend the remaining time he has in office working with the Israelis and the Palestinians to reach a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza.

"We are on the verge of getting that," he said.
On Wednesday, Netanyahu's office admitted the prime minister canceled Israeli negotiators' planned trip to Qatar on Thursday, claiming Netanyahu wanted to meet President Biden before the delegation goes to Doha.

Behind the scenes: White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told the families of U.S. hostages held in Gaza in a meeting on Monday that Biden will press Netanyahu to close the deal, two sources with knowledge of the meeting said.

Netanyahu told the families later on Monday that the deal isn't ripe yet "but is ripening," according to a statement from his office.

What they're saying: "It is possible to close a deal and it is time to close a deal. We have no time to lose. If we feel that Netanyahu is playing for time, we will say so. For now, this is not the case," a U.S. official said.

State of play: The U.S. official said Biden will discuss with Netanyahu the remaining unresolved issues in the hostage deal, especially those related to the implementation of the agreement.

"The meeting between Biden and Netanyahu will not be a yes-deal or no-deal meeting, but a meeting about how to close the gaps. There are things that are needed from Hamas and there are things that are needed from Israel," the U.S. official said.
The U.S. official stressed that the remaining gaps are "bridgeable."
Biden will bring the families of American hostages to the meeting with Netanyahu, the White House said.

What's next: The U.S. official said that after the meeting between Biden and Netanyahu, CIA director Bill Burns and Biden's top Middle East adviser Brett McGurk will likely travel to the region next week to hold meetings with the Egyptian and Qatari mediators and with the Israeli negotiations team.

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Biden to press Netanyahu to close Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal in meeting

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