Biden seeks to revive hostage exchange negotiations in Gaza in coordination with mediators
The CIA director will meet in the coming days in Paris with senior officials from Egypt, Israel, and Qatar to try to reach an agreement on Gaza
The United States is seeking to revive negotiations on the prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel in coordination with Qatari and Egyptian mediators, following its setback and blaming Doha and Cairo for the impasse while sources suggest a meeting in Paris on Gaza in the coming days involving the CIA, Egypt, Israel, and Qatar.
The White House said President Joe Biden spoke yesterday, Friday, with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, about the situation in Gaza. They agreed that the release of hostages held by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) is essential to achieving a longer-term ceasefire in the fighting in Gaza. The White House said in a statement: “The two leaders emphasized that reaching an agreement on hostages is essential to achieving a long-term humanitarian ceasefire in the fighting and ensuring the delivery of additional life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians throughout Gaza.”
Netanyahu had criticized the Qatari mediator’s positions, accusing him of supporting Hamas and calling on Washington to cancel the agreement to renew the presence of US forces at the Al-Udeid base, sparking anger in Doha. Sources also spoke of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi‘s refusal to respond to Netanyahu‘s calls, leading to an evident strain in relations between Egypt and Israel, with Egyptian warnings against Israeli army control over the Philadelphia axis.
Brett McGurk, Biden‘s Middle East advisor, had visited Doha days ago to discuss the possibility of concluding another deal between Israel and Hamas, with the White House expressing hope on Friday for progress in discussions on the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. White House spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday that the United States would support a longer-term humanitarian ceasefire in the fighting in Gaza to ensure the release of hostages and the delivery of more aid.
Biden also spoke with al-Sissi yesterday, Friday, with the White House stating in a statement that the two sides discussed intensifying efforts to increase the delivery of vital humanitarian aid across the Gaza Strip and agreed to continue close coordination on humanitarian aid. Both sides reaffirmed “Egypt’s and the United States’ consistent rejection of any attempts to displace Palestinians from their lands, while agreeing on the two-state solution as the basis for supporting security and stability in the Middle East.”
It is expected that the CIA director will meet “in the coming days in Paris” with senior officials from Egypt, Israel, and Qatar to try to reach an agreement on Gaza, according to a security source from a participating state in the negotiations.
The source confirmed information reported by the Washington Post that Biden plans to send William Burns to Europe in the near future to try to negotiate the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for a two-month ceasefire.
Hamas broadcast a video on Friday on Telegram showing three Israeli women detained in the Gaza Strip, two of whom identified themselves as soldiers. The three women were identified by official and civilian sources as being held by Hamas since the October 7 attack.
Daniela Gilboa and Karina Aryeh said they are Israeli soldiers aged 19, while the third, Doron Steinbrecher (30), said she is a civilian.
They confirmed they have been detained for 107 days, suggesting the video was recorded on Sunday. The detainees generally criticized Israel’s failure to rescue them and said they were subjected to gunfire and shelling, calling for an immediate halt to the war and their release.
The video was released shortly after the International Criminal Court asked Israel on Friday to do everything possible to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza.
The war broke out in the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,140 people in Israel, most of whom were civilians, according to a tally based on official Israeli figures.
About 250 people were kidnapped during the attack, with 132 still detained in the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli authorities. At least 28 are believed to have been killed.
In response to the attack, Israel pledged to eliminate the movement and has since conducted a devastating bombing campaign followed by ground operations since October 27, resulting in 26,083 deaths, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas Health Ministry.
