White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated yesterday, Saturday, that mediators from Qatar and Egypt intend to reach out to Hamas leaders soon to explore the possibility of advancing U.S. President Joe Biden's ceasefire proposal in Gaza, anticipating that there will be rounds of negotiations. This statement was made during a press conference on the sidelines of the peace summit regarding Ukraine, when asked about diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement that would see Hamas release some hostages held in Gaza since October 7 in exchange for a ceasefire lasting at least six weeks.
Sullivan noted that he had a brief conversation with a key participant in the dialogue, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and that they would talk again about Gaza on Sunday while both are in Switzerland for the Ukraine conference. He mentioned that U.S. officials have examined Hamas's response, adding: "We believe it is likely that some possible adjustments can be made, some of which do not align with what President Biden proposed and what has been accepted by the United Nations Security Council. We need to deal with that reality."
He emphasized that U.S. officials believe there is still a path to reach an agreement, and the next step will be for the mediators from Qatar and Egypt to speak with Hamas and "discuss what can be worked on and what cannot be practically engaged." Sullivan concluded his remarks by saying: "We expect there to be rounds of back-and-forth negotiations between the mediators and Hamas. We will see at that point where we stand. We will continue to consult with the Israelis, and we hope that sometime next week we can inform you of where we believe things have reached and what we see as the next step in trying to resolve this."
