7-week Ceasefire: Hamas Hostage Deal Talks Continue as Sullivan Visits Israel

December 13, 2024

by: Itamar Eichner ~ Ynetnews

Friday, 13 December 2024 | US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and US President Joe Biden’s Middle East envoy Brett McGurk, met on Thursday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several senior Israeli officials, including Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar, to discuss advancing normalization with Saudi Arabia, the ceasefire in Lebanon and the situation in Syria. Sullivan is expected to continue meetings in Qatar and Egypt.

Barnea met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Al Thani in Doha to discuss advancing a hostage deal on Wednesday, about two weeks after a secret meeting held in Vienna. Optimism and progress have been reported following the talks, with one indication of the seriousness of the talks being the near-total secrecy surrounding the matter—partly to prevent internal political pressures on Netanyahu.

Qatar is currently the main mediator for the deal, with the outgoing US administration cooperating fully with US President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration to achieve a humanitarian agreement before Trump’s inauguration in January.

Reports indicated the deal is likely to proceed in stages, beginning under the Biden administration and continuing under Trump’s. The first phase is a humanitarian one and will involve the release of hostages in exchange for a seven-week ceasefire.

Such a deal could pave the way for broader agreements, including ending the war and normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia. “It’s estimated that the process will continue after the humanitarian releases; the key is getting the parties committed,” an Israeli official said.

However, it remains unclear whether Hamas will agree to a smaller deal without ending the war. Contradictory reports have emerged, with some suggesting Hamas is willing to allow a limited Israeli presence in Gaza while others claim Israel has agreed to a temporary withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor, though this remains unverified. Israeli assessments suggest a deal could be reached within two weeks.

Meanwhile, families of American–Israeli hostages met with Michael Waltz, slated to become Trump’s national security advisor. The families urged Waltz to support Netanyahu and empower him to move forward with the deal, stressing the need to “conclude the deal and not succumb to [Itamar] Ben-Gvir and [Bezalel] Smotrich.”

Estimations indicated the US is incorporating the issue of normalization with Saudi Arabia to help Netanyahu achieve a historic agreement and overcome domestic political challenges.

Against the backdrop of progress in the hostage negotiations, Sullivan visited Israel. He addressed his meeting with Netanyahu at a press conference concluding his visit, saying: “A ceasefire and a hostage deal would start bringing those hostages home. It would also allow for a massive surge in humanitarian assistance.”

“We discussed this, steps already taken to expand aid flow and further measures required. The US stands by Israel and seeks to reduce civilian suffering wherever it takes place,” he added.

When asked if Netanyahu is waiting for Trump to finalize a deal, Sullivan responded, “I believe every day brings new risks, so urgency is essential. We’ve seen the tragic deaths of hostages. I didn’t get that impression; I think Netanyahu wants a deal.”

“My goal in Doha is to close a deal this month. We were close before but didn’t succeed. I can’t promise, but I wouldn’t be here if I thought this would drag on until January 20—we’ll use every day to it’s fullest,” he said.

Sullivan noted a shift in Hamas’s stance following the Israel–Lebanon ceasefire. “For months, Hamas waited for players and forces to come to its rescue. Once we reached a ceasefire, the negotiations took on a different tone,” he said.

“We’re working to finalize a hostage deal that will end the war and reunite the hostages with their families. It’s time to finish the job.” He added that he met with families of American hostages, pledging, “I’ll do everything in my power to bring your loved ones home.”

Sullivan highlighted his seventh visit to Israel as national security advisor, recalling his October 18 visit last year alongside Biden to send a strong message of support to Israel. “A year later, I was with the president in the situation room where he directed the military to take direct action to defend Israel against Iran’s attacks. American aircraft helped intercept ballistic missiles,” he said.

He stressed the broader context of the conflict, saying, “People forget the basic fact of this conflict—Israel didn’t seek or start this war. Hamas initiated it by invading Israel and Iran chose to escalate it into a multi-front war.”

“Israel faced two direct attacks from Iran, crippling its capabilities. Hezbollah’s leaders are no longer with us and can no longer build terror infrastructure, Hamas’s leaders are gone and Assad’s regime has collapsed. The Middle East has fundamentally changed, but not in the way Yahya Sinwar and Nasrallah planned,” he added.

Sullivan stressed the importance of continued pressure on Iran and vigilance against its threats, saying, “The US will never allow Tehran to obtain nuclear weapons.”

Posted on December 13, 2024

Source: (This article was originally published by Ynetnews on December 12, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

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