Israel No Longer Trusts Biden to Broker an Honest Hostage Deal

Photo Credit: Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90

Gazans celebrated in the streets of Rafah after Hamas announced its approval of a ceasefire, a move that was later exposed as a bluff, May 6, 2024.

Israeli officials are saying the Biden administration was aware of the most recent hostage and ceasefire agreement proposal brokered by Egypt and Qatar with Hamas, but failed to inform Israel before Hamas announced its acceptance on Monday, Barak Ravid reported on Axios Tuesday morning.

But a senior US official countered this claim, stating that American diplomats have maintained communication with their Israeli counterparts, and there have been no unexpected developments, adding, “This is an extremely difficult process with negotiations conducted through intermediaries in Doha and Cairo.”

Two Israeli officials who spoke to Ravid expressed deep suspicion that the Biden administration may have provided assurances to Hamas through intermediaries from Egypt and Qatar regarding its demand that a hostage agreement would bring an end to the conflict.

Israel has reiterated its stance that it will not agree to end the conflict as part of a hostage negotiation and intends to resume military operations in Gaza until Hamas is defeated.

Khalil al-Haia, the chief negotiator for Hamas, informed Al Jazeera that assurances were received from Egyptian and Qatari intermediaries regarding President Biden’s commitment to ensuring the full implementation of any hostage agreement.

A senior Israeli official pointed to that statement, saying, “We believe that the Americans conveyed a message to Hamas indicating that resolution of the conflict would be facilitated.”

Following months of stalled negotiations, Israel presented a proposal on April 26 that American officials believed could shift the dynamics and provide a substantial opportunity for agreement. The initial phase of the proposal entailed a 42-day cessation of hostilities by Israel and the release of hundreds of imprisoned terrorists, while Hamas would release 33 hostages, specifically targeting women, elderly individuals, and the sick or wounded, as well as, possibly, a few dead bodies.

Additionally, Israel would withdraw its forces from populated areas in Gaza and allow Gazans to return to the northern part of the enclave once certain conditions were met. To facilitate this, the ceasefire would facilitate a significant increase in humanitarian aid.

In an attempt to challenge Hamas’s sincerity, individuals familiar with the negotiations indicated that Israel incorporated some language from a previous Hamas proposal in March into its own.

Hamas’s response over the weekend reportedly disappointed intermediaries as it rejected certain language previously proposed by Hamas itself and subsequently adopted by Israel.

The American side deemed Hamas’s new position unacceptable and hinted that if Hamas was not genuinely interested in reaching a deal, the negotiations might be concluded. However, Hamas indicated that it was not seeking to derail the talks and promised to return with a revised version of the proposal.

According to Israeli officials who briefed Ravid, the message conveyed from the Biden administration on Monday suggested that Hamas’s response was open to negotiation, though Israeli leaders remain skeptical. Nonetheless, despite their doubts, the Israeli war cabinet has decided to dispatch a delegation to Cairo for discussions with Egyptian and Qatari mediators regarding the new proposal. It is anticipated that CIA Director Bill Burns will be present in Cairo at the time of the Israeli delegation’s arrival.