Biden aired Gaza truce deal without Israel’s permission: officials

When U.S. President Joe Biden publicly aired a Gaza ceasefire proposal developed by Israel and the United States and sent to Hamas, he made the announcement without seeking agreement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said three U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter.

The decision to announce unilaterally — an unusual step for the United States to take with a close ally — was deliberate, officials say, and narrowed the room for Israel or Hamas to back away from the deal.

“We didn’t ask permission to announce the proposal,” said a senior U.S. official, who was granted anonymity to speak freely about the negotiations.

“We informed the Israelis we were going to give a speech on the situation in Gaza. We did not go into great detail about what it was.”

For months, negotiators from the U.S., Egypt and Qatar have been trying to mediate an end to the conflict that has killed tens of thousands, but a deal has proven elusive.

The proposal announced Friday calls for an initial six-week ceasefire with an Israeli military withdrawal from populated areas of Gaza and the release of some hostages while “a permanent end to hostilities” is negotiated through mediators.

It seeks to build on a deal Hamas accepted earlier this year by keeping a ceasefire in place as negotiations continue, with the aim of reaching a permanent cessation of hostilities, a long-standing Hamas demand.

Biden’s announcement and his framing of the proposal as a deal “Israel has offered” was intended to raise hopes for a ceasefire and put pressure on Netanyahu, said Jeremi Suri, a history and public affairs professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

“Biden is trying to box Netanyahu into accepting the proposal,” said Suri.

Asked whether the Biden’s announcement was an attempt to put pressure on Netanyahu, an Israeli official said that nobody can prevent Israel from destroying Hamas and its governing capabilities.

“The notion that pressure will cause Israel to act in contrast to its national interest is silly,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The pressure should be put on Hamas.”

Speaking to reporters on Monday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby denied that the administration was trying to “jam” the Israeli leader.