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US officials doubt Gaza deal would be reached during Biden's term: WSJ

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Wall Street Journal
20 Sep 2024 15:15
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A US official tells the newspaper that no agreement regarding the ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal in Gaza is "imminent".

Israeli soldiers stationed atop a tank overlook residential areas in northern Gaza destroyed by Israeli bombardment in January 2024 (AFP)

While senior US officials had previously indicated that a ceasefire deal that includes a prisoner exchange between the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian Resistance was imminent, they are now privately conceding that such an agreement is unlikely to be reached before US President Joe Biden’s term ends, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

Without a ceasefire in Gaza, Hezbollah has affirmed repeatedly that its support front will continue. This renders Washington's alleged attempts for a "diplomatic" solution to the escalations on the Lebanese-Palestinian border almost unachievable.

The White House said last month that “90 percent” of the deal’s text was agreed on via indirect negotiations between "Israel" and the Resistance in Gaza.

However, Israeli officials have repeatedly stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deliberately sabotaging the talks. On the other hand, Hamas maintained its position that it had already approved the June 2 proposal, which was put forward by Biden and promoted by mediators Qatar and Egypt.

The US president did not put enough pressure on Tel Aviv to stop the war on Gaza, rather he continued to supply it with weapons, including the highly-destructive 1-ton bombs used to commit a series of massacres in the Strip since October.

“No deal is imminent,” WSJ cited one US official as saying. “I’m not sure it ever gets done.”

Prospects are 'daunting'

According to the newspaper, officials pointed out that one of the two key factors allegedly behind their pessimism was the Israeli terrorist operation using booby-trapped pagers and walkie-talkies, targeting thousands of people in Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday, which resulted in the killing of at least 37 people and wounding over 3,000 others, including women and children.

The other factor is the number of Palestinian detainees the occupation is willing to release in exchange for each captive.

“There’s no chance now of it happening” after the Israeli terrorist attack, an Arab official said as per the WSJ. “Everyone is in a wait-and-see mode until after the election. The outcome will determine what can happen in the next administration."

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met on Wednesday with the families of the seven remaining American captives, claiming that President Biden prioritizes their release. However, the families voiced their frustration with the lack of tangible progress and called on the Biden administration to move swiftly in finalizing a deal.

John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, described the chances of finalizing a deal as "daunting" during a briefing on Wednesday.

Although the administration had hinted for months that a deal was imminent, Kirby acknowledged, "We aren’t any closer to that now than we were even a week ago.” He also claimed that efforts are still being made.

Lebanon's support front can't be stopped

Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah declared that the Israeli terrorist attack that targeted thousands of people "crossed all red lines."

He also revealed in a televised speech on Thursday that, following the aggression, Hezbollah was contacted via "official and unofficial channels" to end the support front, coupled with more threats of further attacks on Lebanon.

The Resistance leader stressed that the fight in solidarity with Gaza will continue relentlessly until the Israeli war on the Strip ends and a ceasefire is achieved. He also vowed to retaliate for the recent terrorist attack "from where Israelis both expect and don't expect," while noting that he will not go into details on the timing of the response.

Sayyed Nasrallah noted that "Israel" has added the return of an estimated 70,000 settlers who fled the north as a fourth objective.

Hezbollah's Secretary-General "challenged Netanyahu and the Israeli Security Minister to achieve this goal without a ceasefire in Gaza." And on increasing discussions about a potential invasion of Lebanon, Sayyed Nasrallah said, "We hope so ... Israelis will have walked themselves into a trap."