According to a report in the Washington Post, the United States is holding talks with Egypt and Qatar on a final framework for a hostage deal and a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The mediators have defined the framework as a “Take it or leave it” deal, indicating the increasing pressure to reach an agreement.
A senior official in the Biden administration stated that the Americans plan to present the framework to Israel and Hamas in the coming weeks. He warned that if both sides do not agree to the terms, it could lead to the end of the U.S.-led negotiations. “We cannot continue endless negotiations; the process must conclude at some point,” said the official.
The official added that work on the proposal began before the discovery of the bodies of the six Israeli hostages. According to him, “the discovery of the six bodies does not disrupt the deal. If anything, it should add urgency to closing the final stage we’re in, which we’ve already reached.”
Meanwhile, the families of the American hostages held a virtual call with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and President Biden’s Middle East envoy, Brett McGurk. After the meeting, the families reported that Sullivan told them that the coming days would be “critical for the release of the hostages.”
The following families participated in the call:
– Adi and Yael Alexander, parents of the hostage Idan Alexander
– Yehuda Beinin, father of the released hostage Liat Atsi
– Robby and Hagit Chen, parents of the kidnapped soldier Itay Chen, who was murdered
– Jonathan Dekel-Chen and Jillian Kay, father and stepmother of hostage Sagiv Dekel-Chen
– Liz Hirsch Naftali, aunt of the released Abigail Idan
– Ronen and Orna Nauta, parents of the kidnapped soldier Omer Nauta
– Relatives of hostage Keith Siegel and released hostage Aviva Siegel
– Relatives of the murdered hostages Gad Chagai and Judy Weinstein
The new framework and the conversations with the families of the hostages emphasize the growing urgency to reach an agreement. However, it remains unclear how the deaths of the six Israeli hostages will affect the chances of securing the deal in the near future. The upcoming diplomatic moves are expected to be critical in determining the fate of the negotiations and the remaining hostages.
