Doubts grow in White House about presenting new Gaza deal terms
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A protester lifts a placard with portraits of six Israeli hostages murdered by Hamas during a demonstration in Tel Aviv on Sept. 2, 2024. Photo: Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images
The White House is reassessing its strategy for a hostage-release and ceasefire in Gaza deal as President Biden's top aides deliberate whether there is a point in presenting a new proposal as Hamas and Israel both take tougher positions in negotiations, U.S. officials say.
Why it matters: Biden, who is personally engaged in drawing the U.S. strategy, wants to continue pushing for a deal, but his advisors think a new proposal would go nowhere right now.
- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and CIA director Bill Burns said in recent days that the U.S. could present a new and updated proposal in the coming days, but other U.S. officials say such a move isn't imminent.
- "It's a rough period. People at the White House are sad, upset and frustrated. We are still working but we are not about to present anything imminently. We are in a tough spot," one U.S. official said.
Behind the scenes: U.S. officials told Axios that over the past week Biden's top advisers have been taking stock of where the negotiations are and have become very skeptical of the chances of reaching a deal in the immediate term.
- The murder of six hostages by Hamas, among them American citizen Hersh Golberg-Polin, and the group's new demand to release 100 more Palestinian prisoners who are serving life sentences for murdering Israelis caused significant pessimism at the White House, the officials said.
- At the same time, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on his demand to maintain full Israeli military control along the Philadelphi corridor on the Egypt-Gaza border in a press conference last week, it created frustration at the White House.
- When Biden was asked last week if he thought Netanyahu is doing enough to get a deal, he said "no."
Between the lines: Officials said the White House faces a difficult dilemma because they feel Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar doesn't want a deal right now.
- And even if he does, Biden doesn't want to be seen as rewarding Hamas with more concessions after it murdered hostages and is making more extreme demands, officials said.
- The Biden administration is still working with Qatar and Egypt on a more detailed proposal for a deal but hasn't come up with a formula that can bridge the current gaps.
- U.S. officials said much of the focus has shifted to seeing if the Egyptians and Qataris can press Sinwar to lessen his demands.
- Israeli officials said there hasn't been major progress in recent days.
What they're saying: Burns said on Saturday at a Financial Times conference in London that as much as the mediators work on creative formulas, it will be for Sinwar and Netanyahu to make difficult choices.
- "At the end of the day, it is a matter of political will and whether leadership on both sides is willing to recognize that enough is enough and that it is time to make tough decisions and make compromises," he said.
- Burns said he hopes Netanyahu and Sinwar will recognize there is a lot at stake and agree to move forward towards a deal.
- "We will continue working as hard as we can with the other mediators because there is no alternative to reaching a hostage and ceasefire deal. What's at stake here are the hostages who are still alive in tunnels in Gaza and lives of innocent civilians in Gaza," Burns said.
