WASHINGTON: The US officials believe that a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is unlikely to be reached before President Biden’s term ends in January, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The report cites unnamed high-level officials from the White House, State Department, and Pentagon, who did not respond to requests for comment.
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh indicated that the situation is not falling apart, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously stated that 90% of a ceasefire agreement had been settled.
Despite ongoing efforts by the US, Qatar, and Egypt, a final agreement remains elusive due to significant hurdles, including Israel’s insistence on maintaining military presence in the Philadelphi corridor and the complexities surrounding hostage exchanges.
Biden had proposed a three-phase ceasefire plan in late May, which Israel had initially agreed to. However, as negotiations stalled, officials have indicated that a new proposal may soon be on the table.
The Israel’s war on Gaza has began with a Hamas attack on October 7. Since then, around 42,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been killed, according to the local health ministry, while nearly the entire population of 2.3 million in Gaza displaced, causing a hunger crisis and leading to genocide allegations at the World Court that Israel denies.
