President Biden said Monday that he expects negotiators to move closer to an agreement that would halt Israeli military operations in Gaza within a week in exchange for the release of at least some of the more than 100 hostages held by Hamas.
Speaking to reporters during a stop in New York, Mr. Biden offered the most hopeful assessment of the hostage talks by any major figure in many days and suggested that the war could be near a major turning point.
“I hope by the end of the weekend,” he said when asked by reporters when he expected a ceasefire to begin. “My national security adviser tells me we are close. We're close. We are not finished yet. I hope we have a ceasefire by next Monday.”
The president made the spontaneous comments in response to questions during a visit to an ice cream parlor after taping a segment from Seth Meyers' late-night talk show. They came amid an active period of negotiations in the region, with Israel's War Cabinet over the weekend approving the general terms of a deal that called for a six-week ceasefire for the release of about 40 hostages. An Israeli delegation is expected to meet in Qatar with mediators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar.
An agreement on a longer ceasefire, set to begin at the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan next week, would halt Israeli bombings in the Gaza Strip that have killed many thousands of Palestinians and sparked a humanitarian crisis. It could also provide an opportunity to increase humanitarian assistance in Gaza, where there are shortages of food, water, electricity and other basic goods.
A negotiated deal would be a dramatic and perhaps pivotal moment in the nearly five-month-long Middle East conflict and could lead to the release of the six remaining American hostages, who were among more than 200 seized by Hamas and taken to Gaza when Israel attacked on March 7. October on. About 1,200 people were killed in Israel.
It could also ultimately mean freedom for dozens of other hostages still in captivity. Their families have waged a pressure campaign in Israel and around the world to demand their release, even as Israel has responded to Hamas attacks with heavy ground and air strikes.
Mr. Biden gave no details on Monday about the details of a ceasefire or whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to a deal. But the president's assessment that one could be achieved by the end of next weekend was the clearest indication of progress in several weeks.
In a separate interview on NBC's “Late Night With Seth Meyers” taped Monday afternoon and aired early Tuesday morning, the president said a halt in hostilities could open the door to a broader realignment of the region that he is pushing for Arab states such as Saudi Arabia recognize Israel. But while he has urged Israel to accept a so-called two-state solution in which the Palestinians would have their own nation, he backed off somewhat, describing it as more of a long-term goal.
“If we get this temporary ceasefire, we will be able to move in a direction where we can change the dynamic and have not an immediate two-state solution, but a process to get to a two-state “Solution process to ensure the security of Israel and the independence of the Palestinians,” he told Mr. Meyers.
While he again advocated for Israel's right to self-defense after the October 7 attack and, as before, described himself as a Zionist, he pressed his argument that Israel needs to recalibrate its approach to minimize civilian casualties, especially since concentrated its operations in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah.
“Too many innocent people are being killed,” he said. “And Israel has slowed the attacks in Rafah. You need to. And they have promised me that they will ensure that large parts of Rafah can be evacuated before they go out and take out the rest of Hamas.”
He added that Israel could jeopardize its remaining friendships in the international community if it does not change course. “You will lose support from around the world,” he said. “And that is not in Israel’s interest.”
Mr. Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli forces would enter Rafah regardless of a ceasefire and hostage agreement. “It has to be done,” he said. “For total victory is our goal and total victory is within reach.” However, he acknowledged that such an operation would be “somewhat delayed” if a ceasefire were agreed.
For Mr Biden, helping to forge a lasting agreement to end the fighting could be a key step in addressing a difficult political vulnerability as he seeks a second term in the White House.
For months, Palestinian activists in the United States have attacked Mr. Biden because they say he has not done more to prevent the deaths of civilians in Gaza. Protesters have followed the president at most of his public events in recent weeks, sometimes waving signs calling him “Genocide Joe.”
That anger is likely to be on display Tuesday when Democratic voters in Michigan go to the polls to make their choice for the party's presidential nominee. Some activists in Michigan, where many Palestinian Americans live, have urged voters to protest Mr. Biden's stance on Gaza by voting “non-committal” in the primary.
The timing of Mr. Biden's response to an unsolicited question from a reporter could derail those efforts and help the president show strength in the primaries.
There have been efforts to end the fighting since the war began, although the president and his aides have repeatedly defended Israel's responsibility to respond to the worst terrorist attack in its history.
At the same time, the government is under increasing pressure to restrain the Israeli government as the death toll in Gaza increases. According to Gaza health authorities, the number is now over 29,000, most of them civilians. In November, the United States helped bring about a brief pause in fighting that led to the release of about 100 hostages. The Israeli military attack continued after the break collapsed due to disagreements with Hamas.
In recent weeks, negotiators have expressed optimism that talks between the parties are moving in the right direction. But the discussions took place against the backdrop of threats from Mr Netanyahu that the country's armed forces were ready for a major attack on Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
More than a million civilians, many of whom have fled Israeli bombings in northern Gaza, have gathered in Rafah, and humanitarian organizations warned that a major attack by Israel there could kill thousands more.
Mr. Biden spoke with Mr. Netanyahu on February 15, and White House officials said in a summary of the call that the two men “discussed the ongoing hostage negotiations” and that the president “reaffirmed his commitment to working tirelessly for Netanyahu's release.” to work”. all hostages.”