Biden Administration's Bold Move on Gaza Conflict Negotiations

 

Biden Administration's Bold Move on Gaza Conflict Negotiations

Since President Joe Biden's extraordinary move to lift the veil of secrecy

 surrounding sensitive negotiations aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza by

 detailing the terms of the deal on the table, U.S. officials have launched into a

 flurry of diplomatic activity to maximize pressure on Hamas to accept the deal and

 ensure Israel stands by it.

The Diplomatic Push

On Monday, Biden spoke by phone with the Emir of Qatar, another critical mediator

 in the negotiations, to confirm "Israel's readiness to move forward with the terms

 that has now been offered to Hamas," according to the White House. During their

 conversation, Biden affirmed that “Hamas is now the only obstacle to a complete

 ceasefire and relief for the people of Gaza,” a readout of the call said.

This latest engagement builds on calls Secretary of State Antony Blinken held over

 the weekend with half a dozen foreign ministers of Middle Eastern countries that

 regularly communicate with Hamas leaders and can exert considerable sway over

 the group. Hamas leaders issued a statement reacting positively to Biden's address

 covering the proposal on Friday but have yet to issue any response on the

 the proposal itself, which was transmitted to the group days ago.

Room for Compromise

While the State Department has urged Hamas to take the deal outright,

 spokesperson Matthew Miller suggested on Monday that there was still room for

 compromise. “We think this is a serious enough proposal that Hamas should just

 accept it, but if there needs to be further negotiations, we think those all

 imminently bridgeable -- if, and this is the if -- if Hamas wants a deal,” he said.

Concerns in Washington

Across Washington, officials were peppered with questions about Israel's

 willingness to lay down arms in exchange for the release of scores of hostages

 held inside Gaza. White House national security spokesman John Kirby denied that

 Biden's decision to convey information about the proposed deal was a play to

 ensure Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu would abide by the country's

 commitments. “This wasn't about jamming the prime minister or the war cabinet,”

 Kirby said. "This was about laying bare for the public to see how well and how

 faithfully and how aggressively the Israelis came up with a new proposal, how it

 shows how much they really want to get this done."

Netanyahu's conviction was called into question when his office reaffirmed Israel's

 commitment to ensuring the "destruction of Hamas's military and governing

 capabilities, the freeing of all hostages and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a

 threat to Israel" before the war ends. “Under the proposal, Israel will continue to

 insist these conditions are met before a permanent ceasefire is put in place,” an

 Israeli statement reads. “The idea that Israel will agree to a permanent ceasefire

 before these conditions are fulfilled is a non-starter.”

Ambiguities and Intentional Flexibility

U.S. officials and the president himself have admitted that the proposed deal

 contains significant gray areas, particularly in the second and third phases of the

 agreement, which call for "a permanent end to hostilities" and "the major

 reconstruction of Gaza" without imposing strict timetables. Analysts say the

 ambiguity is intentional and that the framework is designed to allow both sides to

 interpret the terms as favorable enough to implement the agreement and

 gradually ease tension.

However, Hamas has spurned any offer that doesn't ensure the group's longtime

 survival inside Gaza -- and Netanyahu's comments are unlikely to convince the

 militants that this proposal is any different.

Expert Analysis

Brian Katulis, a senior fellow on U.S. foreign policy at the Middle East Institute,

 argues that this latest chapter of negotiations reflects a change in approach rather

 than substance. “The goal appears to be to spotlight stonewalling by Hamas and

 right-wing members of the current Israeli government as key roadblocks to a

 diplomatic settlement,” Katulis told ABC News. Whether the strategy ultimately

 succeeds, he says, will depend on the Biden administration's ability to apply

 significant, consistent pressure to both sides.

The Road Ahead

“For this Biden plan to work will require the U.S. to double down on diplomatic and

 political efforts in the Middle East, even more so than it already has in the past few

 months,” Kautilis said. "It is not enough to make one-time public statements and

 expect results."

The path forward is fraught with challenges, but the Biden administration's bold

 move to publicly detail the terms of the proposed Gaza deal represents a

 a significant shift in diplomatic strategy. In the coming weeks and months will be

 crucial in determining whether this approach can break the longstanding

 deadlock and bring about a lasting peace in the region.