Washington: Biden announced the proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza without Netanyahu’s approval
Three US officials said that when President Joe Biden announced a proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, prepared by Israel and the United States and sent to the Islamist group Hamas, he was announcing this without obtaining the approval of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Officials say the unilateral announcement, an extraordinary move by the United States with a close ally, was deliberate, tightening the noose and shrinking room for Israel and Hamas to back down.
A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to speak freely about the negotiations, said, “We’ve not asked for permission to announce the proposal”.
“We told the Israelis that we would give a speech about the situation in Gaza… We haven’t gone into much detail about him”.
Negotiators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar have tried for months to broker an end to a conflict that has killed tens of thousands, but a deal in this way has proved elusive.
The proposal, announced on Friday, calls for an initial six-week ceasefire with an Israeli military withdrawal from populated areas of Gaza and the release of some hostages while a permanent cessation of hostilities is negotiated through intermediaries.
The proposal is based on an agreement accepted by Hamas earlier this year that maintains a ceasefire while negotiations continue, with the aim of reaching a permanent cessation of hostilities that Hamas has long upheld.
According to Jeremi Suri, a professor of history and public affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, “Biden’s announcement and presentation of the proposal as a deal offered by Israel was aimed at reviving hopes of a ceasefire and pressuring Netanyahu”.
“Biden is trying to surround Netanyahu to accept the proposal,” Suri said.
Asked if Biden’s announcement was an attempt to pressure Netanyahu, an Israeli official said no one could stop Israel from destroying Hamas and its governing capabilities.
The US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “The idea that pressure will push Israel to act contrary to its national interest is absurd… Pressure must be exerted on Hamas”.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby denied the administration was trying to narrow the room for maneuver on the Israeli leader.
