The tides of war may finally be receding in Gaza. In a pivotal speech highlighting his foreign policy record, US President Joe Biden announced that his administration is on the cusp of brokering a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, potentially halting over 14 months of relentless fighting. The proposed agreement, Biden emphasized, aligns closely with a detailed plan he put forward several months ago.
Senior Biden officials expressed cautious optimism that the long-awaited deal could cross the finish line before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next week. “We are close to a deal, and it can get done this week,” declared National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. “I am not making a promise or prediction but it is there for the taking and we are going to work to make it happen.”
Signs of Progress Emerge in Qatar Talks
The hopeful outlook from Washington was echoed in Israel, where Foreign Minister Gideon Saar reported significant headway in the indirect ceasefire negotiations taking place in Qatar. Mediated by Qatari officials, the US, and Egypt, these marathon talks have previously stalled over thorny issues like prisoner exchanges, the permanence of any truce, and the scale of Israel’s military withdrawal from Gaza.
While stopping short of confirming a final draft agreement, both Israeli and Hamas sources depicted the latest round of discussions – attended by Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff – as yielding tangible progress. However, reports diverged on whether Hamas had fully signed off on the proposed terms without requesting further changes.
Netanyahu Urged to Seal the Deal
As the sands of his presidency run out, Biden has intensified pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to clinch the ceasefire and secure the release of Israeli captives held by Hamas. In a pointed phone call on Sunday, he stressed the “immediate need” for a deal, making clear his desire to see it inked before Trump takes the reins on January 20th.
“The deal that is taking shape is a catastrophe for the national security of the state of Israel.”
– Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich
But Netanyahu must also contend with hardline partners in his governing coalition who are loath to accept any ceasefire short of Hamas’ total defeat. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, head of the far-right Religious Zionism party, lambasted the emerging agreement as a “surrender” and a “catastrophe for the national security of the state of Israel.”
The Heavy Toll of a Drawn-Out War
As diplomats labor to end the fighting, everyday Palestinians in Gaza continue to pay a devastating price. Over 15 months, Israel’s military operation has claimed 46,500 lives and left another 109,571 wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Much of the population of 2.3 million is living in makeshift shelters, their plight worsened by flooding and harsh winter conditions.
The war erupted in October 2023 when Hamas, the Islamist group that rules Gaza, attacked Israeli communities, killing 1,200 civilians and capturing 250 hostages. How to secure their release, along with hundreds of Palestinian detainees held by Israel, remains one of the major obstacles to a durable ceasefire.
A Narrow Window for Peace
With a new, unpredictable US administration waiting in the wings, the fate of this delicate diplomatic initiative hangs in the balance. Will the outgoing Biden team manage to seal the ceasefire that has eluded them for over a year, opening a pathway to rebuild shattered Gaza? Or will the already tenuous support from Israeli and Palestinian hardliners crumble, plunging the region back into the abyss of war? The coming days will tell.
