Biden says hostage-release, ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel ‘on the brink’

In a speech touting his foreign policy legacy, President Joe Biden said Monday that the United States was “pressing hard” to close a deal that would have freed some hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a period of peace in Gaza.

“About the war in between Israel and Hamas, we are on the verge of finally implementing a proposal that I presented exactly a month ago,” Biden said in a speech at the State Department, adding that in his long career in public service he had learned to “do it”. never, never, never, never give up give it.”

“The Palestinian people deserve peace and the right to determine their future. Israel deserves peace and true security. And the hostages and their families deserve to be reunited,” continued the president. “And so we are working urgently to close this deal.”

Ahead of the president’s address, there was speculation across Washington that ongoing high-level talks could finally deliver a long-awaited ceasefire deal, with the White House indicating a deal could be finalized within a week before Biden leaves office.

“We’re close to a deal, and it could be done this week,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan said at a White House press conference. “I’m not making any promises or predictions, but it’s there and we’re going to work to make it happen.”

Other members of the administration were even more cautious, predicting that the next 24 hours would be “make or break” for the negotiations.

The current proposal on the table calls for an initial cease-fire period of at least six weeks in exchange for the release of about 30 hostages living or dead in Gaza, which Israel also hopes to release, according to officials familiar with the talks. more than a thousand Palestinian prisoners and prisoners.

Officials say many details, including the exact number of hostages it would surrender, are still being worked out, but Hamas has said it is willing to hand over at least two of the seven American citizens the group is holding — Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, and Keith Siegel, 65.

While the Biden administration has been pushing Israel and Hamas to sign a version of the current deal since the president outlined the framework for a three-stage peace deal in late May, Members of the Trump administration have played an increasingly significant role in the mediation process as the inauguration approaches.

Sullivan said the coordination serves to present a “unified message” that “it is in America’s national security interest, regardless of party, regardless of the outgoing or incoming administration, to get this deal done as quickly as possible.”

The Trump team’s involvement is also necessary from a practical standpoint, as the US would act as a guarantor of any deal that materializes and the Biden administration will not be in office long enough to see it through.

President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Hamas that “hell will break loose in the Middle East” if it does not release the hostages when he takes office on January 20.

Ahead of his speech at the State Department, Biden said the phones worked – on Monday he spoke with the leader of Qatar, the critical mediator directly with Hamas, and on Sunday he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House.

Biden said he would also speak soon with Egyptian President Sisi, another key agent overseeing the negotiations.

Ukraine, Iran

The president also focused some of his remarks on Russia’s war in Ukraine, praising the administration’s efforts to strengthen Ukraine and global alliances in the process — noting that 23 NATO countries are spending 2% of their GDP on defense, up from nine. took office.

“Today, I can inform the American people that our adversaries are weaker than when we entered this job four years ago. Just consider Russia. When Putin invaded Ukraine, within days he tried to conquer Kyiv. But the truth is: Since the beginning of that war, I’m the only one who was in the center of Kyiv, he never thought about it,” he said.

“We help the Ukrainians stop Putin. And now, almost three years later, Putin has not achieved his strategic goals,” said Biden.

“Today, Ukraine is still a free and independent country with potential, the potential for a bright future. And we laid the foundations for the next administration, so that we can protect the bright future of the Ukrainian people,” he added later.

Biden’s work in the U.S. helped curtail Iran even during his time in office, though he said he couldn’t claim all the credit.

“Now, I can’t take credit for all the factors that have weakened Iran and Russia over the last four years. They did a lot of damage on their own, but Israel did a lot of damage to Iran and its proxies. But there’s no doubt that their actions helped significantly,” Biden said. .

Afghanistan

The president also touched on a low point in his administration, defending his decision to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan in 2021, an operation that killed 13 service members.

“In my opinion, it was time to end the war and bring our troops home and we did. I commend the courage of all who served in Afghanistan. We mourn the ultimate sacrifice that all 2,461 Americans made in the longest war in American history. And I grieve for the brave service members who lost their lives in withdrawal.” , said Biden. “We thank those inside and outside of government who have done so much to help resettle thousands of Afghan families in the United States.”

The president also looked ahead in his speech, urging the incoming Trump administration to continue working on two big challenges for the future: artificial intelligence and the clean energy transition.

“I know, and some of the incoming administration — some of the incoming administration are skeptical of the need for clean energy. They don’t even believe climate change is real. I think they’re from another century. They’re wrong. They’re dead wrong. It’s the biggest central existential threat to humanity,” he said. Biden’s remarks come in his harshest criticism of the incoming Trump team.