WASHINGTON – White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday told families of US hostages held in Gaza that President Joe Biden is considering presenting Israel and Hamas a final proposal for a hostage-release and ceasefire in Gaza deal later this week, sources told Axios Monday.
The murder of six hostages held by Hamas in Gaza increased the sense of urgency among Biden’s top aides to push for an agreement as soon as possible and present Israel and Hamas with a take it or leave it moment, sources said.
Biden is going to meet with his national security team on Monday morning to determine the strategy for the final push regarding the deal, a source familiar with the issue said.
Vice President Kamala Harris join Biden during a meeting with the US hostage deal negotiating team on Monday, according to a White House schedule.
Sullivan and President Biden’s top Middle East adviser Brett McGurk held a one-hour Zoom call with family members of the seven US hostages who are still held by Hamas in Gaza.
Two sources with direct knowledge of the meeting said Sullivan and McGurk told the families that they didn’t know if a deal would be concluded but added there was a chance and said they hoped it might happen in as soon as two weeks from now.
Biden’s top advisers told the families that in a few days the US might present an updated version of its bridging proposal to both Israel and Hamas and give the parties another week to come back with a yes or no response, the sources said.
They added there was significant progress in the negotiations in Cairo and Doha last week on the lists of hostages and Palestinian prisoners who are supposed to be released in the first phase of the deal.
Sullivan and McGurk added that the updated bridging text would include a US proposal regarding the Philadelphi corridor that they hope Egypt and Hamas could accept.
“National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held a virtual meeting with the families of the American hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and discussed the heartbreaking news of the six hostages killed by Hamas, including American Hersh Goldberg-Polin,” the White House said.
The White House said Sullivan discussed with the families “the ongoing diplomatic push across the highest levels of the US government to drive towards a deal that secures the release of the remaining hostages.”
Sullivan emphasized President Biden’s “deep commitment” to bring the hostages home as soon as possible, the White House said.
The families said in a statement that Sullivan told them that “the next few days will be critical” in the push to free the hostages.
“The families told Sullivan that all parties must unite on the demand that Prime Minister Netanyahu close the deal with Hamas and bring the hostages home,” they said in the statement.
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