US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to the Middle East on Saturday to continue diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
US President Joe Biden said a ceasefire deal in Gaza was now within sight and warned parties in the Middle East not to jeopardize ongoing negotiations to reach a deal that would see the release of captives held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.
Biden told reporters Friday that a deal was “much, much closer” than before negotiations began, but he also cautioned that “we’re not there yet.”
“There are still some problems. I think we have a chance,” he said.
Previous efforts by the Biden administration to secure a ceasefire in Gaza have failed, and criticism of the president has grown as Washington appears unwilling to use its leverage with its main ally, Israel.
In a separate statement, Biden announced that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to the Middle East starting Saturday to continue the diplomatic effort.
Biden also said he spoke with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who he said expressed strong support for the U.S. efforts.
In the Qatari capital Doha, where Qatari, Egyptian and American mediators are trying to reach an agreement on Gaza, ceasefire negotiations were suspended on Friday but are expected to resume next week with hopes of reaching a deal in Cairo.
“The path is now clear to achieve this outcome, saving lives, bringing relief to the people of Gaza and easing regional tensions,” Qatar, Egypt and the United States said in a joint statement Friday.
A senior U.S. official described the latest diplomatic efforts to end the 10-month violence as the most productive in months.
Speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, the official said there was a “consensus” among all participants over the past 48 hours “that there is really a new spirit here to carry this process through.”
“We have made a lot of progress in the number of issues we have worked on,” the official said.
Tel Aviv Tribune political analyst Marwan Bishara said there was a “sense of optimism” about the negotiations, adding that negotiators had managed to “bridge the gap” over the exchange of Hamas prisoners and Palestinian detainees in Israel. Other difficulties included the issue of control of the Gaza-Egypt border after the war and the free movement of Palestinians within Gaza, he added.
On Thursday, an Israeli delegation and mediators began the latest round of negotiations in months to end the war in Gaza, which has killed at least 40,000 Palestinians. Hamas was not directly involved in the talks but was kept informed of their progress.
The Israeli delegation included Mossad spy chief David Barnea, Shin Bet internal security service chief Ronen Bar and the military’s chief hostage negotiator Nitzan Alon, officials said.
The White House sent CIA Director Bill Burns and U.S. Middle East envoy Brett McGurk. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel were also present.
Washington hopes a ceasefire deal in Gaza can defuse the risk of a wider war, as Iran has warned it will retaliate against Israel after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.