Negotiations to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli prisoners are in their "final stages," a US official said on Wednesday, ahead of upcoming talks between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Biden will try to bridge some of the 'final gaps' in talks with Netanyahu at the White House on Thursday, but key elements, including the fate of the prisoners, remain in Hamas's court," the senior administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We believe things are in their final stages and a deal is possible," the official added.
The US official noted that there would be “a lot of activity” in the “next week” toward reaching a long-awaited agreement, adding that the agreement was “not only possible, but essential and necessary.” He downplayed Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on Wednesday in which he pledged “total victory,” saying that “the talks with Biden will be more focused on the mechanisms for reaching an agreement.”
The official said that reaching a truce now depends on a few issues related to how the agreement will come into effect, especially after Hamas softened its position and agreed to negotiate the release of prisoners without requiring a permanent ceasefire.
The official expected that during the meeting with Netanyahu, discussions would be held on "how to bridge these recent gaps," noting that there are American demands that Israel must meet. However, he pointed out that "fundamental matters are in Hamas' hands because it has the hostages."
In contrast, Hamas said on Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statements about intensive efforts to release detainees in Gaza were "a complete lie and misleading to Israeli, American and international public opinion," accusing him of thwarting all efforts aimed at ending the war and concluding a swap deal.
Hamas said in a statement that Netanyahu "is the one who thwarted all efforts to end the war and conclude a deal to release the prisoners, despite the continuous efforts of the mediators from our brothers in Egypt and Qatar, and despite the flexibility and positivity shown by the movement." It added that he "bears full responsibility for the repercussions of this position, and for the fate of the prisoners in the Gaza Strip."