Biden urges Trump to collaborate on Gaza captive negotiations
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President Joe Biden has urged President-elect Donald Trump to collaborate on a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza during their two-hour meeting, according to Axios.
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President Joe Biden meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP)
US President Joe Biden asked President-elect Trump during their two-hour meeting on Wednesday to collaborate on reaching a ceasefire and a captive deal in Gaza.
According to Axios, with only two months left in office, Biden is reportedly determined to break the deadlock in negotiations over a Gaza deal. Meanwhile, Trump would likely prefer to avoid dealing with this crisis as he approaches Inauguration Day.
"We're prepared to work with the incoming team in common cause on a bipartisan basis to do everything in our collective American power to secure the release of the hostages, both living and deceased," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.
Sullivan mentioned that the White House had "sent a signal" to Trump’s team, indicating a willingness to collaborate on the captive issue.
Biden also met on Wednesday in the Oval Office with families of American captives held in Gaza, according to two sources familiar with the meeting.
One source said, as quoted by Axios, that the families emphasized that time was running out for the captives and expressed grave concern for their safety. Biden assured them that both he and Trump agreed on the urgency of the captive situation and aimed to resolve it before January 20.
Biden acknowledged to the families that they have every right to be angry that their loved ones have not been brought home yet, Axios reported citing two sources.
The families of US captives have requested meetings with many of Trump’s newly appointed team members to push them to engage with the issue immediately.
Israeli officials say at least 50 captives are still believed to be alive.
Qatar pulls out of Gaza ceasefire talks pending sincere commitment
Qatar has withdrawn from its role as a primary mediator in ceasefire and prisoner swap negotiations between the Israeli occupation and Hamas, citing a lack of genuine commitment to negotiation, a diplomatic source informed AFP on Saturday.
Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, had been working for months to broker a truce that would include the release of captives and detainees, but these efforts have yet to yield progress.
"The Qataris informed both the Israelis and Hamas that as long as there is a refusal to negotiate a deal in good faith, they cannot continue to mediate," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. As a result, Qatar conveyed to Hamas that its political office in Doha "no longer serves its purpose."
Qatar’s decision has been officially communicated to both the Israeli occupation and Hamas, as well as to the US administration. The source noted that Qatar was open to re-engaging in mediation if both parties demonstrated a sincere commitment to returning to negotiations.
Hamas' Political Bureau in Qatar, however, had not "received any request from the authorities to leave the country," a senior source in the movement told the Russian Ria Novosti.
“We have nothing to confirm or deny regarding what was published by an unidentified diplomatic source and we have not received any request to leave Qatar,” the official said from Doha, after a diplomatic source told AFP.
