WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden will launch a renewed drive on Wednesday for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, now that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a truce in Lebanon, his national security adviser said.
The truce that began before dawn Wednesday in the south Lebanon war means Iran-backed Hezbollah is no longer fighting in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza.
That will increase pressure on the militant Palestinian group to agree to a ceasefire and hostage deal, Jake Suillivan told MSNBC.
Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu right before the US- and French-brokered truce with Hezbollah was announced Tuesday and they agreed to try again for a Gaza agreement that has eluded negotiators for months, Sullivan said.
“President Biden intends to begin that work today by having his envoys engage with Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and other actors in the region,” Sullivan said.
“We believe that this is the beginning of an opportunity for a more stable Middle East in which Israel’s security is assured and US interests are secured,” he added.
The Israel-Hezbollah deal was a rare boost for Biden as he prepares to leave the White House and hand over to Donald Trump on January 20.
As he announced the agreement Tuesday, Biden said the United States, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar and Israel would make another push for a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel is still at war with Hamas following the Palestinian group’s deadly October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Biden said Washington would also push for a long-explored deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Qatar hopes Lebanon truce is ‘model’ for Gaza truce
Qatar, meanwhile, said it hoped Israel and Hezbollah’s ceasefire would lead to a truce in Gaza.
Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, said the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire could serve as a “model” for Gaza after months of fruitless negotiations to end the devastating war.
“The State of Qatar welcomes the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon and hopes it will serve as a model for a similar agreement to end the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip,” Qatar’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“Qatar believes this agreement will pave the way for a broader consensus that ensures lasting peace and stability in the region,” the foreign ministry said.
Saudi Arabia also welcomed the ceasefire and praised the efforts of France and the United States in securing it.
Saudi Arabia “appreciates all international efforts made in this regard”, a foreign ministry statement said, calling for the “preservation of Lebanon’s sovereignty, security and stability and the return of the displaced”.
Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, was involved in months of unsuccessful negotiations for a Gaza truce and hostage release.
This month it put its mediation on hold, saying it would resume when Hamas and Israel showed “willingness and seriousness”.
On Wednesday, Hamas told AFP it had informed Qatar, Egypt and Turkey it was “ready for a ceasefire agreement and a serious deal to exchange prisoners”, and accused Israel of obstructing a deal.
Before the ceasefire was formally approved by his government, Netanyahu said the truce in Lebanon would permit Israel to redirect its efforts back to Gaza.
“When Hezbollah is out of the picture, Hamas is left alone in the fight. Our pressure on it will intensify,” he said.
