Political pressure on Biden helped fuel the ‘secret cell’ of aides in hostage talks

Aides said the president was also hopeful that the release of the hostages could be a first step toward broader peace in the region once the immediate crisis passes. In an opinion article published in the Washington Post On Sunday, Mr Biden described how far his ambitions extend beyond the four-day pause in fighting agreed on Tuesday.

“Our goal should not simply be to stop the war for today,” he wrote. “It should be to end the war forever, break the cycle of incessant violence and build something stronger in Gaza and across the Middle East so that history does not continue to repeat itself.”

Mr. Biden and his top aides have repeatedly said they are not telling Israel how to respond to the massacre of 1,200 people in their country, and Mr. Netanyahu made clear on Tuesday that he planned to resume military operations against Hamas as soon as the hostages were removed. were released in accordance with the deal.

“The war will continue,” Netanyahu said.

But some senior US officials have indicated they would not be disappointed if the pause became a more permanent ceasefire. If the White House tries to use the hostage agreement to push for a longer-term ceasefire and focus on the bigger questions about the occupation and a two-state solution, it could put Mr. Biden on a new collision course with the Mr Netanyahu can bring. when the fighting will resume.

A top administration official, who briefed reporters on Tuesday in the hours before the deal was finalized, said the pause in fighting was a step toward an eventual push for peace. But the official warned that such a possibility was still far away.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a deal that had not yet been finalized.

In the short term, the president and his aides say they are focused on ensuring Hamas keeps the promises the militant group made during weeks of negotiations that often seemed destined to fail.

The first sign of progress came in late October, when US officials were told through intermediaries in Qatar and Egypt that Hamas could accept a deal to release women and children. In return, they wanted Israel to free Palestinian prisoners, pause fighting and delay a ground invasion.

As Israeli troops gathered outside Gaza, officials in Israel and the United States debated whether to accept the deal. Israeli officials did not think Hamas took the offer seriously and refused to delay the ground offensive. Hamas refused to provide any proof of the hostages’ lives. The negotiations stalled.

At the White House, Mr. Biden and his foreign policy team continued to push. Hopes rose again on November 14 after Netanyahu called the president to say he could accept Hamas’ latest offer. But just hours after the call, Israeli forces stormed Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital, which they said served as Hamas’s command center. Suddenly, communications between Hamas and officials in Qatar and Egypt stopped. When Hamas reappeared hours later, they made it clear: the deal had fallen through.

For days, the militant group demanded that Israeli forces withdraw from the hospital, which Israel refused. It took several days for talks to resume, following a call from Mr Biden to Qatar’s emir.

Government officials continued to pressure Israel and, through intermediaries, Hamas. After Mr. Biden’s call, top aides, including the CIA director, met with the emir in Qatar to discuss the latest draft — a six-page text detailing steps for implementation on both sides.

Within a week, the diplomatic pressure paid off. On Tuesday evening, as Israel’s Cabinet cast its final vote to approve the deal, Biden departed Washington for a five-day Thanksgiving vacation with his family on the island of Nantucket.

The Israeli decision, announced by Mr Netanyahu’s office, would allow at least a four-day lull in the fighting in Gaza. If this holds, it would be the longest cessation of hostilities since Hamas attacks on October 7 prompted Israel to begin its bombardment of Gaza.

But even with the deal completed, Mr. Biden faces challenges. Americans are still being held hostage in Gaza, and tensions in the United States and within his own party show little sign of easing.

Officials said they were acutely aware that the horrors for the families of those still trapped in Gaza will not end until their loved ones return home.

The senior government official who spoke to reporters on Tuesday evening said the government was “determined to get everyone home,” and said negotiations would continue until that happens.