White House pushing for agreement before president-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20th.
By World Israel News Staff
A senior Biden administration official is traveling to the Middle East in a final push for a hostage deal, aiming for an agreement before president-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20th.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan will visit Israel, Qatar, and Egypt this week, where he’ll meet with officials to discuss ongoing efforts for a deal that would free the Israeli hostages held for 14 months by the Hamas terror group.
Two sources with insider knowledge of Sullivan’s agenda told Axios that he plans to tell officials to “do what it takes to conclude the deal within days and start implementing it as soon as possible.”
White House spokesperson John Kirby said at a media conference on Tuesday that while “we are not on the verge of completion of a deal, but we think there is a chance to get a deal done. There is still work to do. Hamas remains the obstacle and we are pressing hard.”
Trump’s upcoming inauguration and threats of serious consequences should the hostages remain in captivity have put significant pressure on the terror group, and Hamas’ leadership are now far more open to negotiations, sources said.
“Until recently, the thinking in Israel was that Hamas doesn’t want a deal — now it seems that there is a shift and that Hamas may have changed its mind,” a senior Israeli official told Axios.
“There is a chance of reaching a deal in the coming month before Biden ends his presidency,” the official added.
On Tuesday, Sullivan met with the families of American hostages at the White House.
Details about the meeting were not made public, but participants said they had discussed ongoing efforts by the Biden administration to secure the release of their loved ones.