President Joe Biden urged Egypt and Qatar to coerce the terrorist group Hamas into agreeing to a hostage deal with Israel as National Security adviser Jake Sullivan plans to meet with hostage families next week.
According to several reports, Biden wrote letters to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, pressuring them to “secure commitments from Hamas to agree and abide by a deal.”
The president deployed CIA Director William Burns to Cairo to present a potential hostage deal in order to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas militants.
The hostage deal was reportedly discussed between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday over a phone call in which the president “made clear that everything must be done to secure the release of hostages, including American citizens, now held by Hamas terrorists for nearly six months.”
“They discussed the importance of fully empowering Israeli negotiators to reach a deal, which in its first phase would secure the release of women, elderly, sick, and wounded hostages,” a White House official said.
Biden urged Netanyahu to agree to an “immediate ceasefire” as the administration views this as being the only way to allow additional humanitarian aid to reach Gaza.
Previously, Israel and Hamas agreed to a six-week ceasefire in exchange for the release of sick, elderly, and wounded hostages held by the terrorist group. However, that deal has been paused for several weeks.
“This basic fact remains true: There would be a ceasefire in Gaza today had Hamas simply agreed to release this vulnerable category of hostages – the sick, wounded, elderly, and young women," the White House official added. “The onus is on Hamas to release the hostages and bring relief to the people of Gaza through a prolonged ceasefire.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that Israel could become “indistinguishable” from Hamas if it does not cite its humanitarian concerns for its citizens as the war continues.