Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a cabinet meeting at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem, June 5, 2024. GIL COHEN-MAGEN/Pool
U.S. President Joe Biden recently made a public announcement regarding a Gaza ceasefire proposal that was jointly developed by the United States and Israel and subsequently conveyed to Hamas. Notably, President Biden proceeded with this announcement without first securing agreement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to three U.S. officials familiar with the matter. This unilateral approach, an uncommon practice for the United States concerning a close ally, was intentional, as per these officials, to minimize the likelihood of either Israel or Hamas reneging on the proposal. “We didn’t ask permission to announce the proposal,” stated a senior U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations. “We informed the Israelis we were going to give a speech on the situation in Gaza but did not delve into the specifics.”
For several months, negotiators from the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar have been striving to broker an end to the conflict, which has resulted in significant casualties. However, reaching an agreement has been challenging. The proposal announced on Friday includes an initial six-week ceasefire, an Israeli military withdrawal from populated areas of Gaza, and the release of some hostages while mediators work toward “a permanent end to hostilities.” This proposal aims to build on a previous agreement accepted by Hamas earlier in the year, maintaining a ceasefire as negotiations for a permanent cessation of hostilities continue, aligning with a long-standing demand from Hamas. Biden’s announcement, framing the proposal as an “Israeli offer,” was intended to generate hope for a ceasefire and exert pressure on Netanyahu, according to 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,” Suri explained.
When questioned about whether Biden’s announcement was intended to pressure Netanyahu, an Israeli official responded that no external pressure could deter Israel from its objective of dismantling Hamas and its governance capabilities. “The notion that pressure will cause Israel to act against its national interest is absurd,” the official said, under the condition of anonymity. “The pressure should be on Hamas.” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, addressing reporters on Monday, denied that the administration was attempting to “jam” the Israeli leader.
The success of the latest ceasefire proposal remains uncertain. On Tuesday evening, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan indicated that mediators were still awaiting a response from Hamas. Although Ophir Falk, Netanyahu’s foreign policy adviser, initially stated that Netanyahu had approved the proposal, the Israeli leader later made public comments that cast doubt on his full support. On Wednesday, far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir declared that his party would “disrupt” the ruling coalition until Netanyahu disclosed details of the prospective Gaza deal.
President Biden, facing domestic pressure to end the conflict in Gaza, confronts a divided Democratic party over his support for Israel’s military actions in the enclave. Voters in key battleground states have threatened to withdraw support for Biden in the upcoming election against Republican candidate Donald Trump. The war, which began on October 7 when Hamas-led Palestinian fighters killed over 1,200 people in Israel and took more than 250 hostages, has led to extensive destruction in Gaza and the death of over 36,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Despite these challenges, U.S. officials assert that Biden’s public disclosure of the Israeli proposal is intended to reinvigorate discussions. “Biden believed it was important to publicly outline the details so that the global community could see the seriousness with which Israel was approaching this, and to make it clear that Hamas must accept this proposal,” stated one official. This tactic, which Biden has employed throughout his political career, aims to move negotiations forward by making a public declaration of an agreement, thereby compelling the parties to proceed, explained historian Thomas Alan Schwartz of Vanderbilt University. “By stating that Israel had agreed, he placed Israel in a difficult position to refuse, potentially influencing domestic policies in Israel,” Schwartz noted.
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