US President Joe Biden will launch a renewed drive Wednesday for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage launch deal after Israel and Hezbollah started a truce in Lebanon, his nationwide safety adviser mentioned.
Jake Sullivan mentioned Hamas faces elevated stress to chop a deal now that Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah motion is not preventing in solidarity with the Palestinian militant group.
Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proper earlier than the US- and French-brokered truce with Hezbollah was introduced Tuesday they usually agreed to attempt once more for an elusive Gaza truce, Sullivan mentioned.
“President Biden intends to start that work right now by having his envoys interact with Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and different actors within the area,” Sullivan instructed MSNBC.
“We imagine that that is the start of a possibility for a extra secure Center East during which Israel’s safety is assured and US pursuits are secured,” he added.
The Israel-Hezbollah deal was a uncommon increase for Biden as he prepares to depart the White Home and hand over to Donald Trump on January 20.
Biden mentioned on X on Wednesday that “over the approaching days the US will make one other push” for a Gaza deal, echoing feedback he made in his announcement Tuesday.
The outgoing US chief mentioned the intention was to “obtain a ceasefire in Gaza with the hostages launched and an finish to the battle with out Hamas in energy.”
Biden mentioned on Tuesday that Washington would additionally push for a long-explored deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
“Peace is feasible,” Biden mentioned in his speech on the White Home. “So long as that’s the case, I can’t for a single second cease working to attain it.”
US envoy Amos Hochstein, who was carefully concerned within the negotiations for the Israel-Hezbollah deal, mentioned it created a possibility for the same settlement in Gaza.
“We firmly imagine that the Lebanon deal now opens that door,” Hochstein mentioned in a briefing with the US Jewish neighborhood on Wednesday.
After the truce with Hezbollah, Israel was now preventing a “one-front battle”, he mentioned.
“There is no cavalry coming from the north anymore for Hamas. So it is a second the place Hamas must take the step to return to the desk,” he added.
Biden’s administration was additionally “in contact” with the incoming Trump workforce on the difficulty, he mentioned.
