White House advisers expressed doubt that a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas will happen anytime soon, despite President Joe Biden insisting last week that negotiators were “very close” to a final proposal, Axios reported Sunday.
“It’s a rough period. People at the White House are sad, upset, and frustrated,” a U.S. official told Axios. “We are still working but we are not about to present anything imminently. We are in a tough spot.”
Officials said Hamas’s murder of six hostages, including American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, and the terrorist group’s new demand for the release of 100 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences for killing Israelis have hindered negotiations, causing White House advisers to be “very skeptical” of the chances of an imminent deal, according to Axios.
The assessment comes after Biden, as well as Secretary of State Antony Blinken and CIA director Bill Burns, said last week that negotiators were “very close” to a ceasefire-hostage deal.
Biden faced criticism for pressuring Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to soften demands and agree to Hamas’s terms, which include giving up control of the Philadelphi corridor that the terrorist group uses to smuggle weapons.
Netanyahu insisted that Israel maintain full military control over the corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border, while continuing to push for the immediate release of Israeli hostages.
While Biden has accused Netanyahu of not doing enough to negotiate, his advisers believe that it is Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar who is not interested in a deal right now, according to Axios. Last month, Hamas rejected the latest ceasefire deal proposed by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt after refusing to attend negotiation talks.
Original News Source – Washington Free Beacon
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