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As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waits to find out who the next American will be, a final diplomatic push in the Middle East this week will take place on Tuesday, according to people familiar with the idea. U.S. officials say they remain skeptical whether the move will lead to a pause in fighting in Gaza in time for the U.S. presidential election. He will be president.
Hopes for progress towards ending the fighting in Lebanon have risen slightly, with the country’s prime minister saying Thursday that a deal to end cross-border violence between Israel and Hezbollah could be in the final stages. expressed optimism.
“We are doing our best and we are optimistic that a ceasefire will be reached in the next few hours or days,” Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in an interview with Lebanese media al-Jadeed on Wednesday. .
Any progress in cooling temperatures in the region would be seen as a victory in the White House. Still, there is a sense (a long-held view within the Biden administration) that Netanyahu is waiting for the U.S. campaign season to end, as a top-level envoy visits the region to discuss prospects for an end to the violence. Still strong.
CIA Director Bill Burns was in Cairo on Thursday for talks on Gaza and Lebanon, including a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.
At the same time, U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein and White House Middle East Coordinator Brett McGuirk are in Israel for talks on the hostage crisis, cease-fire issue, and Iran, all of which are “detente backed by deterrence.” The focus is on US policy.
Hopes for a deal to end cross-border fighting between Israel and Lebanon have been renewed by progress in negotiations in recent days, with Hochstein expected to continue negotiations this week.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Hochstein and McGuirk that Israel must have the ability to enforce a potential ceasefire agreement in Lebanon to deter threats from Lebanon.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu said that what is important is not this or that agreement on paper, but Israel’s ability to implement the agreement, to thwart any threat to security from Lebanon, and to return our population safely to its place. “I am determined to do so,” he said in a statement.
The US envoys also met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to discuss a “security agreement” for the return of hostages from northern Israel, Lebanon and Gaza.
But with the US election just around the corner, there is little hope that any final effort to end the war in Gaza will succeed any time soon.
As such, the war in Gaza is likely to continue to overshadow the U.S. conflict even into its final days. Minutes after Vice President Kamala Harris’ speech in Madison on Wednesday evening, some disturbances broke out inside an arena packed with students from the nearby University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“Cease fire now!” one protester shouted.
“We all want the war in Gaza to end and the hostages to be rescued,” Harris said, adding that she would “do everything in our power” to end the conflict in the Middle East.
she added flatly as several more protesters echoed through the crowd. “Everyone has a right to be heard, and I’m speaking now.”
The scene, which has been repeated at Harris’ rallies throughout the abbreviated campaign, shows that the Middle East is a political liability for Democratic candidates.
Harris has almost always cited the need for a ceasefire, even though negotiations to secure one have stalled.
U.S. officials heading to the Middle East this week are hoping to make a final push to resolve the conflict before the election, but are realistic about the possibility of a major breakthrough.
In Cairo, Burns was expected to continue discussing new proposals put forward in recent days by the United States, Israel and Qatar, including a month-long ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of some hostages.
After months of hiatus in negotiations, U.S. officials are cautiously hopeful that new proposals could break the stall, especially after the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. .
But many details remain unresolved, including the number and breakdown of hostages and Palestinian prisoners who will be released as part of the deal, according to people familiar with the talks.
Two sources familiar with the negotiations said the temporary ceasefire would be shorter than the six-week first phase that had been discussed before previous negotiations collapsed. Negotiators from Qatar, which along with Egypt is Hamas’s main negotiator, are currently discussing a limited offer with Hamas, one of the sources said.
And there remains pessimism that Hamas will agree to a new plan that does not include a permanent ceasefire. Hamas wants “confirmation that there is Israeli approval for any plans presented,” said a diplomat familiar with the talks.
On Sunday, Mr. Burns met with Israeli Mossad chief David Balnea and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha in an attempt to revive ceasefire talks after Mr. Sinwar’s death, but U.S. officials argue that this should be a turning point in the war in Gaza. .
In Lebanon, where Israel is conducting a major operation against Hezbollah, American officials hope to work out a diplomatic solution to end the violence.
Lebanon’s Mikati said he was optimistic that a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel could be concluded “in the next few hours or days” after speaking with Hochstein on Thursday ahead of a visit to the region. .
Israel and the White House have previously downplayed reports in local media of a proposed ceasefire to address the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
“Many reports and drafts have been circulated. None reflect the current state of negotiations,” the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement to CNN.
The White House offered the same message. National Security Council spokesman Sean Savet said the draft reportedly shared online did not reflect the current status of ceasefire negotiations.
CNN’s Lauren Izso, Alex Marquardt and Mostafa Salem contributed reporting.
