Majed Saeed, Agencies (Gaza, Tel Aviv)
US President Joe Biden said an agreement to release hostages held in Gaza was very close, noting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to ensure such an agreement.
Before Biden met with the US negotiating team on the war in Gaza at the White House, with the participation of his deputy Kamala Harris, Biden was asked by a reporter: “Do you think it is time for Prime Minister Netanyahu to do more on this issue, do you think he is doing enough?” He answered decisively: “No.”
Biden was also asked if he planned to present a final deal on the detainees to Israel and Hamas this week, after months of negotiations that failed to reach an agreement. The US president said: “We are very close to that.”
According to senior US administration officials, Biden is considering presenting a final proposal to Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza, but nothing is final yet.
If the deal collapses, it could spell the end of U.S.-led negotiations, one official said.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Labor Court in Tel Aviv decided yesterday to stop the strike announced by the Histadrut labor federation, to push the government to accept a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.
Israeli media reported: “The Tel Aviv court issued a ruling to end the strike, following a petition filed against the strike.”
The strike was scheduled to continue until Tuesday morning.
The Israeli court’s decision to stop the strike comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the government, claiming that “the strike is being held for political reasons.”
In response, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a statement: “The court accepted our position and decided that the Histadrut strike was political and illegal.”
In turn, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted the head of the Histadrut, Arnon Bar-David, as saying: “We respect the decision, and despite attempts to color solidarity with political colors, hundreds of thousands of Israelis voted with their feet,” referring to the protests that swept Israel the day before yesterday and yesterday, with the participation of hundreds of thousands of Israelis demanding a prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas.
A general strike spread throughout Israel yesterday, in response to the Histadrut’s call, and was joined by many major companies and shopping chains, while the government resorted to the court in order to cancel the strike.
#Washington #close #final #agreement #hostages #Gaza
