A Biden administration official said negotiators who are working on a framework for a deal to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas have made “real progress” over the last few weeks.
The official did acknowledge that there were still some “significant” gaps to close but highlighted that the deal was “pretty much there”. The official also highlighted that it was necessary to capitalise on that progress to ensure all hostages are released as soon as possible.
The deal was also the focal point of the 45-minute telephone call between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier. According to a report by Axios, Biden told Netanyahu that if a deal is possible the US would like to see it move forward.
Hamas last week outlined its demands for a new hostage deal which Netanyahu called “delusional”. The Palestinian terrorist group demanded that Israel, among other things, release at least 1,500 Palestinian security prisoners, withdraw its troops fully from Gaza, and eventually agree to a permanent ceasefire while reducing its sovereignty on the Temple Mount.
The officials are yet to clarify what progress was made.
Biden told Netanyahu that the US does not support the Israeli army operation in Rafah, which Israel claims is the last Hamas stronghold in Gaza. Biden stressed that Israel must ensure the safety of civilians. Rafah is now home to almost 1.3 million people.
Hamas, meanwhile, warned that it will “blow up” the hostage negotiations if troops enter the city, as per a report from the group’s Aqsa TV channel. “We penetrated into the heart of Hamas’s most sensitive places, and are using their intelligence against them. The more we deepen this operation, the closer we are to a realistic deal in order to return the hostages,” defence minister Yoav Gallant said, stressing that the operation in Rafah will continue as planned.
Meanwhile, Egyptian officials warned Hamas that it must reach a hostage-for-ceasefire deal with Israel within two weeks, or the IDF will move into Rafah.
Under the Paris framework, which Israel based its negotiations on, a three-phase humanitarian pause, with 35 to 40 Israeli hostages — women, men older than 60, and those with serious medical conditions — released during the first six-week phase is being discussed.
Israeli soldiers and the bodies of killed hostages would be released in the second and third phases.
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