Biden hopes ceasefire can be reached before Ramadan begins; Israeli officials pessimistic about potential hostage deal

The White House, the US State Department and the Israeli government do not seem to be equally optimistic about reaching a truce-for-hostages deal in Gaza before Ramadan begins on March 10.

Biden told reporters he hopes a deal can be made by the coming weekend.

“Well, I hope by the beginning of the weekend. The end of the weekend. My national security adviser tells me that we’re close. We’re close. We’re not done yet,” Biden said. “And my hope is that by next Monday [March 4] we’ll have a ceasefire,” he added.

The State Department was less optimistic.

“We believe a deal is possible and we hope Hamas will agree to one,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, adding that “we need Hamas to say yes.”

Israel is much less optimistic about a possible breakthrough in the hostage negotiations.

Senior Israeli officials quoted by Israeli media have all said that the outline of a potential deal that was agreed upon in Paris by Israel, American, Egyptian and Qatari mediators on Friday “doesn’t correspond with Hamas demands.”

According to Israel’s Channel 12, Hamas leaders abroad said that the proposed deal crossed “red lines,” but Hamas still has not responded officially to the proposal.

According to the outline, the potential deal would reportedly include the release of 40 hostages including, women, children, female soldiers, and elderly and ill abductees in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian convicted terrorists and a six-week pause in fighting.

According to Al Jazeera citing an unnamed source, Israel agreed to release 400 Palestinian terrorists, including those convicted of “heavy” crimes. Al Jazeera also claimed that Israel agreed to a gradual return of Palestinians to northern Gaza, except those of “military service age” and more aid and temporary shelters being brought into Gaza, including heavy machinery.

Israel and Hamas, however, cannot agree over the main issue, which is that Hamas wants to maintain control of Gaza and therefore has demanded a permanent ceasefire, whereas Israel has vowed to dismantle the terrorist organization.

“We’re totally committed to wipe Hamas off the face of the Earth,” Israel’s Economy and Industry Minister, Nir Barkat, told Reuters at a conference in the United Arab Emirates.

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters on Monday that any agreement would require “securing an end to the aggression, the withdrawal of the occupation, the returning of the displaced, the entry of aid, shelter equipment, and rebuilding.”

According to Reuters, an Israeli delegation with staff from the military and Mossad has flown to Qatar to participate in negotiations, including the vetting of proposed Palestinian terrorists that Hamas wants released as part of a deal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel wants a deal and that it is up to Hamas to make realistic demands.

“They’re in another planet. But if they come down to a reasonable situation, then yes we’ll have a hostage deal. I hope so,” Netanyahu said.

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