Gaza Genocideupdated 56m ago3 min read
Photo · 25 July 2024Biden And Harris Tell Netanyahu To Seal Hostage Deal And Ceasefire With Hamas
5 Other1 West AsianPhoto: Office of the Vice President of the United States / US federal government, Public domain · Cropped for layout
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Biden and Harris urged Netanyahu to seal a hostage-release deal to enable a Gaza ceasefire. Netanyahu met Biden in the Oval Office to discuss progress toward ceasefire and hostage release.
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6 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Israel Airstrike Near Rafah Kills Hamas Leaders, Fire Kills Dozens of Palestinian Civilians →
Hostage deal push
US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu it was time to seal a hostage release and ceasefire deal with Hamas as families of captives expressed rare optimism. Harris said, “As I just told Prime Minister Netanyahu, ‘it is time to get this deal done,’” after what she described as “a frank and constructive meeting” with Netanyahu. Biden told Netanyahu, “we need to get this deal over the line,” according to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, as the White House said Biden and Netanyahu discussed hostage talks “in detail.”
John Kirby, the White House National Security Council spokesperson, said Biden conveyed to Netanyahu “how deeply and strongly the president feels that we’ve got to get this hostage deal in place and get a ceasefire — at least for phase one for those first six weeks.” The White House said Biden “expressed the need to close the remaining gaps, finalize the deal as soon as possible, bring the hostages home, and reach a durable end to the war in Gaza.”
Protests and competing frames
Thousands of protesters gathered at the US Capitol and in front of the White House as Netanyahu’s visit unfolded amid the Gaza war, with US lawmakers boycotting Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress. Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher said the White House indicated that Biden would be “much tougher on Benjamin Netanyahu this time,” and he framed the shift through Biden’s legacy and his push for a ceasefire deal. John Kirby told reporters, “We believe the gaps can be narrowed,” and he said it was “absolutely urgent to get those hostages back home with their families where they belong, get a ceasefire in place.”
Netanyahu told Biden in the Oval Office, “We’ve known each other for 40 years, and you’ve known every Israeli Prime Minister for 50 years since Golda Meir,” as the meeting took place in Washington. Biden responded with a line recalling his first meeting with Golda Meir, with Yitzhak Rabin, before he replaced her, as Netanyahu and Biden sat surrounded by dozens of reporters.
Numbers at stake
Harris read out the names of all eight American-Israel hostages still held captive by Hamas, while the Times of Israel said there are thought to be 111 hostages in Gaza and the IDF has confirmed the remains of 39 dead. The Times of Israel reported that Harris and Netanyahu discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the flow of aid into the enclave, and the readout said Biden reaffirmed “the US ironclad commitment to Israel’s security against all threats from Iran and its proxies.” The Al Jazeera account said Netanyahu’s war on Gaza has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians and created a humanitarian catastrophe, and it described the protests as denouncing Netanyahu and calling for Washington to cut off military assistance.
The JPost account said the first six-week phase of a three-phase deal would see the release of some 33 to 18 live or dead hostages in exchange for a lull in the war. John Kirby said, “There are gaps that remain,” and he added that the US team continued working with Egypt and Qatar to close them as Netanyahu approved sending a negotiating team to Doha.