After months of claims that the termination of fire and a deal to release hostages is close, senior US officials now admit that they do not expect Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement before the end of President Joe Biden's term, according to a Wall Street Journal report, quoted by News.bg .
The Biden administration will not give up its pursuit of a deal, seeing it as the only way to end the war in Gaza and stop the escalating conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah. The White House earlier said the warring parties had agreed to "90 percent" from the text of the deal, so hope for a breakthrough remains. However, a number of senior White House, State Department and Pentagon officials believe the warring parties are unlikely to accept the current framework.
The main reasons for the pessimism are two. First, the ratio of Palestinian prisoners Israel must release in exchange for hostages held by Hamas presents a major obstacle – even before the terrorist group killed six hostages, including an American citizen. Second, recent attacks between Israel and Hezbollah complicate diplomatic efforts, increasing the risk of all-out war.
Another problem is that Hamas makes demands and then refuses to accept the proposals after the US and Israel agree to them. That has frustrated negotiators, who increasingly believe the group is not serious about reaching an agreement. Critics also accuse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of sabotaging the process to satisfy the far-right wing of his coalition.
An Arab official also expressed doubts that an agreement would be reached between Israel and Hamas before the elections, saying they were all in a "waiting mode". The outcome of the elections will determine the further development of the conflict.
Failure to reach a deal could damage the legacy of Biden, who has been slow to convince Netanyahu that the priority should be the return of some 250 hostages. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday that the prospects for a deal were "frightening," but that the administration would continue to work toward a diplomatic breakthrough.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called the latest attack a "declaration of war" as Israeli fighter jets breached the sound barrier over Beirut. Israel's defense minister vowed to continue strikes against Hezbollah to halt rocket attacks and allow 70,000 Israelis to return to the northern border region.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned all parties to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could make it difficult to reach an agreement.