Biden 'squeezing' Netanyahu from all sides to end war: Politico
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The newspaper cites a US official expressing fear that a ceasefire agreement might be the last opportunity to bring back the captives and lower the intensity of the war on Gaza.
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US President Biden hugs Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after arriving in Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine, on October 18, 2023. (AP)
US President Joe Biden and his team are exerting considerable efforts to ensure that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu feels compelled from all directions to promptly end the war on Gaza, Politico reported on Thursday.
This comes as the US presidential elections loom, while Biden and the Democratic party continue to witness a steady decline in internal support, including due to their position on the genocide in Gaza, as the President continues to supply "Israel" with weapons and provides it with international, political, and legal protection.
According to the newspaper, Biden has adopted a more confrontational approach, surpassing his previous attempts to persuade the premier to follow American counsel, by exerting rhetorical and behind-the-scenes pressure on a range of parties; from regional powers, the United Nations, relief organizations, Israeli settlers, and both Netanyahu's political allies and adversaries.
US officials and personnel involved in what they dub the "crisis" fear that this could be the best, last opportunity to bring the captives back and lower the intensity of the war, the report said.
Read more: US warns escalation with Lebanon would 'harm security of Israel'
“It feels a bit like a blunt-force instrument,” Politico cited Jonathan Lord, a former Defense Department official, as saying.
On the other hand, Netanyahu is facing internal pressure from within his government to abandon the ceasefire plan. His decisions carry the risk of him losing his position and potentially facing imprisonment, considering the multiple charges he is facing. These stakes make it difficult for him to comply with American appeals to support the deal, even though it is primarily an Israeli proposal, Politico continued.
Read more: War on Gaza leaves US, companies in dire straits amid five impacts
Adam Ereli, the former US Ambassador to Bahrain, was quoted as saying, "[Netanyahu] is now trapped in his own web of political maneuvering between his coalition partners, the Americans and his security establishment ... He’s made promises to everyone but can fully deliver to no one.”
Although Netanyahu's popularity in the entity is low, losing his premiership could increase his legal vulnerability, as he faces multiple corruption charges.
Understanding this, he has often sent mixed signals through his aides regarding his true stance on the ceasefire proposal, the newspaper said.
Resistance core demands nonnegotiable
A senior Israeli official told NBC News earlier this week that Biden’s description of "Israel’s" ceasefire proposal was "not accurate", disputing claims that the occupation agreed to completely withdraw its forces from Gaza in exchange for the captives.
US and Israeli military officials have expressed serious doubts that "Israel" would be able to achieve the war objective of "absolute victory" and the "elimination of Hamas," two slogans that the Israeli government based its war on.
On May 5, the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas announced accepting an agreement put forward by the mediators Qatar and Egypt and approved by the US. The deal was almost completely identical to the one submitted by Washington and Tel Aviv earlier. However, Netanyahu rejected the proposal on May 6, declaring that the war would continue until objectives were achieved.
Read more: Hamas insists on primary demands for any exchange agreement: Officials
On that, the Israeli official doubled down on these goals, telling NBC that “Israel has not changed its conditions to reach a permanent cease-fire. That will only happen after our objectives are met including destroying Hamas’s military and governing capabilities."
In a press conference on Tuesday, top Hamas official Osama Hamdan emphasized the movement's stance communicated to the mediators, which stipulates that they cannot agree to any deal that fails to ensure a lasting ceasefire and comprehensive withdrawal from Gaza.
"The occupation will not see its captives held by the Resistance except through a serious and genuine deal where our Palestinian prisoners enjoy freedom," Hamdan asserted.
