Ceasefire talks show new signs of progress

Joe Biden has pressed Benjamin Netanyahu to hammer out a Gaza ceasefire deal, telling the Israeli leader in a phone call to try again to save hostages still held by Hamas.

A Palestinian man stands above debris after an Israeli strike the previous day on a five-storey building next to a school sheltering displaced people, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday. Picture: AFP

An embattled President Joe Biden pressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hammer out a Gaza ceasefire deal, telling the Israeli leader in a phone call that now is the time to save the lives of the hostages still held by Hamas.

Mr Biden talked through with Mr Netanyahu a draft agreement that reflects significant changes from the Hamas side that boost the chances of a deal, according to a senior White House official.

“We’re going to do all we can to close this out,” the official said.

It is a pivotal moment for Mr Biden, who is trying to prove he is still up for the job of president after a disastrous debate performance last week prompted political allies to question his ability to ­defeat Donald Trump in the ­November election.

Mr Biden pressed publicly for a ceasefire deal from the White House in late May and again during the debate. If accomplished, an agreement to halt the war would represent a significant political victory for the President.

Negotiations over a ceasefire had hit a stalemate in May, but hopes were revived this week after Hamas submitted new suggestions on a proposal that indicated a willingness to compromise. It was “a breakthrough on a critical impasse”, the senior administration official said.

Mr Netanyahu told Mr Biden that he was sending a delegation to continue negotiations for the release of hostages held by Hamas. But in an indication of how far the two sides are from an agreement, the Israeli leader said he would only end the war once Israel achieves all of its goals, according to a summary of the conversation from the Israeli Prime Minister’s office. Those goals include destroying Hamas in addition to bringing the hostages back.

The Israeli delegation to Qatar will be led by Mossad chief David Barnea, who was scheduled to meet with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani on Friday night.

On the call with Mr Netan­yahu, Mr Biden said he remained committed to Israel’s security, including with regard to threats from Iranian-backed groups such as Hezbollah. The US considers both Hezbollah and Hamas to be terrorist organisations.

A ceasefire deal in Gaza could be the most effective means of heading off a wider conflagration.

Ceasefire talks in Doha could begin as early as Friday (local time), the US official said.

Mr Biden plans to speak to ­European leaders about the deal at a NATO summit next week in Washington.

Israel and Hamas confirmed this week that talks over a ceasefire deal had resumed. Hamas said on Wednesday that its political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, had recently communicated to mediators in Qatar and Egypt ideas for reaching a deal.

Israel’s Mossad spy agency said its negotiators were evaluating Hamas’s comments.

A senior Israeli official said the suggestions, which were delivered on Wednesday, had enough changes to warrant moving forward on talks. A key change is that Hamas is no longer demanding a full Israeli withdrawal during the first stage of the deal, which would involve the release of some hostages in Gaza during a six-week ceasefire.

The official emphasised that negotiations with Hamas would still be difficult, likely requiring several weeks to hammer out any deal before beginning stage one.

Of approximately 250 hostages taken in the October 7 Hamas-led attacks, 116 remain in Gaza.

The Wall Street Journal