Biden admin says Smotrich statement endangers captives
4 Min Read
The White House says US President Joe Biden would not allow "extremists" on either side to push the Gaza ceasefire talks off course.
-
In this photo taken on November 15, 2022, then-Knesset members Itamar Ben-Gvir (L) and Bezalel Smotrich look on during the swearing-in ceremony for Israeli lawmakers in occupied al-Quds, occupied Palestine (AP)
The Biden administration has made it clear that it will not allow "extremists," including Israelis, to derail ongoing Gaza ceasefire negotiations, White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby announced on Friday following "misinformation" by far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Smotrich has recently claimed that a ceasefire deal would amount to a surrender to Hamas and argued against the exchange of prisoners. Kirby refuted these assertions, describing them as "dead wrong" and misleading to the Israeli public, as well as, accusing him of endangering the lives of Israeli captives.
"We've seen some statements from some quarters in Israel over recent days attacking the deal. I just want to underscore how long this is, not only in substance, but also jeopardizing the lives of the hostages, and running cattle to Israel's own national security interests," Kirby told reporters.
He claimed that the United States, along with its allies, has been working tirelessly for months to broker a so-called "ceasefire-for-hostages" agreement, facing persistent challenges from both the Israeli occupation and Hama.s.
According to US officials, the latest proposal represents the most promising opportunity to secure the release of women, sick, and elderly captives held by Hamas in Gaza since October 7. In return, the deal would require at least a six-week ceasefire.
"We want to get a deal. We believe that it's possible to do that... But it's going to require some leadership on all sides here and some compromises," Kirby told reporters, underlining the urgency of the situation.
Leaders from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar issued a joint statement on Thursday, calling on the Israeli occupation and Hamas to engage in negotiations set for August 15. The talks are expected to take place in either Doha or Cairo.
The statement came almost a week after the Israeli regime assassinated Hamas' political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran; the leader of the movement's negotiations team. Additionally, "Israel" targeted a residential building in Beirut, killing five civilians – three women and two children – and a top Hezbollah military leader, Sayyed Fouad Shokor.
"It is time, immediately, to put an end to the long-standing suffering of the people of the Gaza Strip, as well as the hostages and their families. It is time to finalize a ceasefire agreement and release the hostages and detainees," the joint statement read.
The three leaders claimed that a framework agreement is ready and that all it needs to be finalized is to agree on implementation details.
Kirby specifically addressed critics like Smotrich, who argue that the proposed agreement constitutes a surrender to Hamas or that captives should not be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners. "His arguments are dead wrong," Kirby stated.
No agreement on Aug 15
The United States does not anticipate that an agreement between the Palestinian resistance and the Israeli occupation, as facilitated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, would be ready for immediate signing on August 15, according to a senior official in the Biden administration.
In a phone call on Thursday, the US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated, "There is still a significant amount of work to be done, with both sides holding firm to their positions."
On Friday, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States issued a joint statement saying that the time had come to finalize a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and arrange for a prisoner exchange.
The statement also noted that the parties have been working for months to reach a framework agreement, which is now on the table, with only the implementation details remaining.
The three countries expressed their readiness to present a final proposal to resolve the issues related to implementation in a manner that meets the expectations of all parties. They also called on both sides to resume urgent talks on Thursday, August 15, in Doha or Cairo.
