President Biden will reportedly meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to discuss the possibility of a cease-fire agreement for the release of some of the remaining hostages held since the October 7 Hamas-led terrorist attack. They are planning to talk about it. Two officials with direct knowledge of the plan.
Mr. Biden's call with the prime minister is scheduled just hours after Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken left Washington for his recent trip to the Middle East. Blinken will first visit Saudi Arabia, where he will meet with officials from Egypt and Qatar, which have been acting as mediators with Hamas, where ceasefire and hostage negotiations have stalled in recent weeks.
Blinken is expected to visit Israel during his stay in the region this week, but the State Department has not announced his itinerary beyond the Saudi visit, and Blinken is scheduled to attend a three-day meeting of the World Economic Forum. ing. He has played a key role in the Biden administration's efforts to broker a ceasefire, expand humanitarian aid and win the release of more than 100 hostages still believed to be in Gaza.
The phone call showed Biden offering Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu support for Israel's war unless the country takes further steps to expedite the shipment of food and other supplies to Gaza and limit civilian casualties. This came three weeks after he said he was planning to reconsider. Since then, humanitarian aid to Gaza has increased significantly, with Biden advisers crediting Israel with meeting the president's demands, although U.S. officials acknowledge the aid is still not at the level needed. There is.
Israel has withdrawn some of its troops from southern Gaza but is still planning a major attack on the southern city of Rafah, where about 1 million Palestinians have taken refuge. Biden administration officials have expressed concerns about the plan, and Israeli officials said they would consider those comments and discuss further with their American counterparts.
Under a U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal, Israel would halt fighting for six weeks and hold prisons in exchange for the release of 40 hostages held by Hamas, mostly women, the elderly and people in poor health. Hundreds of Palestinians will be freed. Later stages of the agreement will extend the ceasefire and result in the release of more hostages.
