Biden's Stern No to Netanyahu Amid Stalled Hostage Deal and Cease-Fire Efforts

“No.”

The discussions within the White House shed light on the complexities surrounding a potential preliminary hostage exchange and a six-week cease-fire. While officials assert that they have nearly finalized 90 percent of a lengthy agreement, approval from Hamas is still pending regarding the specific hostages slated for release and the structure of the first phase. In exchange for the freed hostages, Israel is expected to release a substantial number of Hamas fighters and other detainees.

Tragically, several individuals anticipated for release were executed recently, reportedly due to fears from their captors that an Israeli rescue operation was imminent. Among them was Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who, at just 23, was a dual American and Israeli citizen and had already suffered a serious injury while rescuing others during the initial October 7 attack that sparked the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

Hamas is insisting on the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the Philadelphi Corridor, a strategic narrow strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border. However, Netanyahu has countered that Israeli troops must remain in this area to thwart the influx of weapons and munitions to Hamas.