Pressure is increasing on Biden (right) as a result of his support for Israel in its war on the Gaza Strip (Reuters)
Washington -
Despite the widening gap between the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas" and Israel regarding the details of a temporary ceasefire agreement, US President Joe Biden expressed his optimism about the possibility of reaching an agreement soon.
Biden was asked during a visit to New York City about the possible date for the start of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and he replied, “My national security advisor tells me that we are close, and we are not finished yet. I hope that by next Monday there will be a ceasefire.”
Biden said last week that the United States is working to negotiate a detainee deal between Israel and Hamas that aims to stop the fighting in Gaza for at least 6 weeks, release dozens of Israeli detainees and prisoners, and allow the entry of huge amounts of humanitarian aid.
Biden said the agreement “will bring an immediate and sustained period of calm to Gaza for at least 6 weeks, and we can then devote time to building something more sustainable.”
In a television appearance on the “Talk Show Comedy” program broadcast at dawn on Tuesday on NBC, Biden said that “Israel will be prepared to stop its attack during the month of Ramadan if an agreement is reached.”
Optimism and reservation
Since the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, Biden has shown unprecedented support for Israel, but he has changed his tone and increased his criticism of the way Israel manages its military operations, describing it as “excessive.”
Amid Israel's preparations to begin a ground incursion into the city of Rafah, where it is estimated that more than a million displaced Palestinians have taken refuge after fleeing fighting in other places in Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip, Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the consequences of doing so.
But Netanyahu told the "Face the Nation" program last Sunday that the detainees deal would delay the Rafah operation, and said that Israel would move forward with the operation at a later time.
Officials at the White House and State Department confirmed in press conferences yesterday, Tuesday, that negotiations on a temporary ceasefire are continuing, but they refused to provide details about the substance of the talks or possible timetables.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that “significant progress” had been made toward reaching an agreement last week to allow hostages to leave Gaza and allow humanitarian aid to enter.
“We are building on that progress this week,” Kirby added, “and the president and his team remain engaged around the clock with multiple partners in the region, but as the president has said over the last 24 hours or so, there is no agreement yet. There is a lot of work to be done.” ".
Kirby noted that the ceasefire would "hopefully" allow for a six-week truce, a much longer period than previous pauses in fighting.
Diplomatic moves, nothing more
In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, Charles Dunn, a former official at the White House and the US State Department and currently an expert at the Arab Institute in Washington, and a lecturer at George Washington University, considered that what Biden says, “assuming it is true,” is nothing more than “a small solution to a much larger problem.” Of course, it is the complete destruction of Gaza.”
Dan said, “The United States used its veto against the demand for an indefinite ceasefire in Gaza in the UN Security Council earlier this February, and Washington is not yet ready for the real solution, and the next solution, which is the State of Palestine.” "And all that results from that is diplomatic movements, no surprises there."
While Ambassador David Mack, former US Assistant Secretary of State for Middle Eastern Affairs, who previously worked at his country's consulate in Jerusalem, indicated that Biden is changing his position depending on the developments and direction of events.
In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, Ambassador Mack said, "President Biden is, by nature, a person who tends to be optimistic. At the very least, he discovered that showing optimism was good for his image in American domestic politics."
In contrast, Ambassador Mack criticized Netanyahu's position and said that he considered "the American administration and governments naive and overly optimistic."
He said, "From now until next Monday, we may find that the Israeli government does not accept the terms of the deal that our Arab partners are pressing for in the negotiations. As for Hamas, they will find it more difficult to reject a deal that would give the residents of Gaza some relief during the month of Ramadan."
Daniel Levy, a former Israeli government official and negotiator, said: “Biden’s comments likely reflect the White House’s attempt to move the talks forward without putting more pressure on Netanyahu’s government.”
Levy told the Wall Street Journal, "I don't see what the reason for this optimism is. Netanyahu keeps turning around and saying we will enter Rafah, and the Biden administration is not tightening the screws on that."
Meanwhile, former diplomat Aaron David Miller - who worked for many years on the Middle East peace file - tweeted on the X platform, criticizing Biden’s proposal, and considered that what Biden said had negative effects on the negotiation process.
Miller said, "The first rule of any negotiation is to never show that you are in a rush. It is expected that Biden's hope to reach an agreement will be understood, but predicting a specific date to come could make one or more parties hold out more, or resist pressure."
A former American diplomat told Al Jazeera Net, who requested to remain anonymous, that “what Biden says may have no basis in reality, and may reflect his high age, and his loss of mental fitness may reflect what he says, as it seems that he did not distinguish between wishes and what is happening on the ground.” The reality is in light of Netanyahu and Hamas’ rejection of the ideas being negotiated.”
Source: Al Jazeera