Three informed U.S. officials have indicated that President Biden’s announcement of a Gaza ceasefire proposal developed and sent to Hamas by the United States and Israel was made without seeking the approval of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
On Friday, Biden’s proposal called for an initial ceasefire of six weeks, with the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the densely populated Gaza Strip, the release of some hostages by Hamas, and negotiations mediated by intermediaries on Hamas’s demand for a “permanent end to hostile actions.”
According to Reuters, the three officials stated that President Biden’s unilateral action was carefully calculated with the aim of pressuring either Israel or Hamas into an agreement to ultimately achieve a resolution.
This represents an unusual move for both the United States and its close allies.
One official said, “We did not seek (Israel’s) permission before announcing this proposal. We informed the Israelis that we (referring to Biden) would make a statement on the Gaza situation, but did not disclose the detailed contents of President Biden’s speech to Israel.”
The officials stated that Biden’s public presentation of this as an agreed-upon proposal by Israel is intended to reignite discussions.
One official remarked, “Biden believes it’s necessary to publicly lay out the details of the proposal for the whole world to see, to show how seriously Israel is treating this matter and to clearly indicate that Hamas absolutely needs to accept this proposal.”
For months, negotiators from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar have been working tirelessly to broker an end to this conflict which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, but reaching an agreement has proven elusive.
Currently, President Biden faces pressure to end the Gaza conflict as soon as possible. He has supported Israel’s attacks on Gaza, but there is significant division within the Democratic Party on this issue.
Historian Thomas Alan Schwartz from Vanderbilt University stated that Biden is employing a strategy he has used throughout his decades-long political career: publicly announcing an agreement in the hopes of pushing both sides forward.
“He (referring to Biden) said that Israel had already agreed, putting Israel in a difficult position to refuse. In this sense, he may be trying to influence Israel’s domestic policies,” Schwartz said.
Jeremi Suri, a history and public affairs professor at the University of Texas at Austin, commented that Biden’s statement, as well as framing the proposal as coming from Israel, is both to raise expectations for a Gaza ceasefire and to exert pressure on Netanyahu.
Suri said, “Biden is attempting to force Netanyahu to accept this proposal.”
However, John Kirby, a spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council, denied on Monday in an interview with reporters the claim that the government was trying to “jam” Israeli leaders.
Additionally, when asked if Biden’s statement was meant to pressure Netanyahu, an Israeli official stated that no one can prevent Israel from destroying Hamas and its governing capabilities.
The unnamed Israeli official said, “The idea that pressure would lead Israel to take actions contrary to its national interest is foolish; pressure should be applied to Hamas.”
It remains unclear whether the latest ceasefire proposal will succeed.
On Tuesday evening, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters that mediators are still awaiting a response from Hamas.
While Netanyahu’s foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk stated shortly after last Friday’s announcement that Netanyahu had signed the proposal, public statements made by other Israeli leaders subsequently cast doubt on whether he fully supports the proposal.
On Wednesday, far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stated that his party would “disrupt” actions of the ruling coalition until Netanyahu reveals the details of the potential Gaza agreement.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas began on October 7 last year, according to Israeli statistics, with Palestinian fighters led by Hamas killing more than 1,200 people in Israel, most of them civilians, and taking over 250 people as hostages.
According to the Palestinian Health Authority, the military actions launched by Israel afterward left Gaza in ruins, resulting in more than 36,000 deaths.