Biden’s patience has finally run out
In recent months, the White House has repeatedly spoken of progress in ceasefire talks in Gaza, and while criticisms from experts on one side and public pressure on the other have exhausted his foreign policy team, this process of interviews and public statements has continued.
The announced agreement plan by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt, which included setting a date for the start of negotiations, led to the beginning of talks that became critically decisive amid the sensitive and crisis conditions caused by the tension between Israel and Hezbollah and the Iranian regime.
These tensions slightly decreased, but on the other hand, with Hamas’s obstruction and Netanyahu’s personal interference, the negotiations have not reached a conclusion.
Biden and White House officials have spoken of progress in the negotiations.
However, there is no progress, and there is room for interruptions and obstacles for both sides, and the issue of Gaza’s border crossings is a suitable topic.
Netanyahu, by using this point and insisting on the deployment of Israeli forces at these crossings, has rendered the negotiations meaningless. The disagreement over this issue is also serious within Israel, as the Defense Minister and the heads of Mossad and Shin Bet have publicly opposed Netanyahu’s insistence on the importance of the crossings.
The Israeli security cabinet meeting to approve and endorse Netanyahu’s demand led to a scandal and intense clash between Gallant and Netanyahu over this issue, and ultimately, as expected, the security cabinet approved Netanyahu’s demand. After these clashes and increased tensions in Israel, the Israeli army returned the bodies of six hostages to their families, and Israel, in a critical state, is witnessing nationwide strikes and protests and serious political disagreements within the cabinet, a development that might soon show its significance. Reports indicate Biden’s new approach; Brett McGurk and Jake Sullivan quickly held a virtual meeting with the families of hostages held by Hamas, and in this meeting, while expressing hope for reaching an agreement, they informed them of Biden’s new plan.
According to what they have narrated, the U.S. President is supposed to announce his final plan to both parties involved in the conflict, and the demands of both parties, especially based on the views of the Egyptians and Hamas regarding the Gaza border, will be considered. Journalists have described this plan as the last plan and the last day.
What appears from the situation is that in the absence of an agreement, Biden will wait to identify which of the two parties involved is responsible for the lack of agreement on that plan and will take a different action. In these circumstances, another key point is that the tension between Israel and Iran must be contained so that a new deadlock is not added to these countless deadlocks.