In a speech touting his foreign policy legacy, President Joe Biden on Monday said the U.S. was “pressing hard” to close a deal that would see some of the hostages held by Hamas freed in exchange for a period of peace in Gaza.
“On the war between Israel and Hamas, we’re on the brink of a proposal that I laid out in detail months ago finally coming to fruition,” Biden said during an address at the State Department, adding that he had learned during his long career in public service “to never, never, never, ever give up.”
“The Palestinian people deserve peace and the right to determine their own futures. Israel deserves peace and real security. And the hostages and their families deserve to be reunited,” the president continued. “And so, we’re working urgently to close this deal.”
In advance of the president’s speech, confidence that the ongoing high-level talks could finally yield a long-awaited ceasefire agreement bloomed across Washington as the White House signaled a deal could be cemented before the Biden leaves office within a week.
“We are close to a deal and it can get done this week,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said during a press briefing at the White House. “I’m not making a promise or a prediction, but it is there for the taking and we are going to work to make it happen.”
Other members of the administration were even more cautiously optimistic, predicting that the next 24 hours would likely be “make or break” for the negotiations. The current proposal on the table calls for an initial ceasefire period lasting at least six weeks in exchange for the release of around 30 living or dead hostages held in Gaza, according to officials familiar with the talks, who add that Israel is also expected to release more than a thousand Palestinian prisoners and detainees. (CBS News)