The Biden administration is sending three top officials to the Middle East this week in an 11th-hour effort to salvage a peace agreement between Israel and Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists.
White House Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk is set to go to Egypt and U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein is heading to Lebanon, where they are expected to help overcome obstacles to a deal, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing a U.S. official. CIA Director William Burns is also expected to travel to the region for the talks, the Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas have stalled for months, but the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar last week called on them to resume talks in a summit Thursday, promising to present their own proposals, the Journal reported.
The region is bracing for a possible direct Iranian attack on Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on July 31 in Tehran. The Islamic Regime blames Israel for the killing, but the Jewish state has not publicly commented on the matter.
“We want everybody to show up on Thursday and roll up their sleeves and get down to work,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday in a press gaggle. “And at the same time, we’re watching very, very closely what Iran and its proxies might do this week.”
The U.S. said Israel has welcomed the invitation to meet but Arab mediators said Hamas has refused to participate because its officials don’t see a chance for a breakthrough, the Journal reported. The talks will continue even if Hamas doesn’t participate, said the Arab mediators, who would then go back to Hamas with the latest proposed terms.
In a message to Arab mediators Monday night, Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ newly installed leader, said if Israel is serious about negotiations and wants Hamas to participate, then it must stop its military operations in Gaza first, the Journal reported.
It is unlikely that Israel will comply given its stated goal to eliminate Hamas and rescue the remaining hostages held in the Gaza Strip. There are about 111 hostages still held in Gaza who were abducted during Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack, but Israel has said at least 39 are dead, the Journal reported. U.S. and Israeli officials privately estimate the number of dead could be much higher because of untreated wounds, lack of food, ill treatment by guards, and Israeli airstrikes.
It is unknown if an attack by Iran would affect the talks. Iranian officials indicated, including to mediators, that Tehran could hold off from launching an attack if there was progress toward a cease-fire in the talks, the Journal reported, adding two U.S. officials said the Biden administration might call for postponing the talks if Iran strikes before Thursday.
