President Joe Biden on Friday wrote to the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, calling on them to press Hamas for hostage deal with Israel, according to a senior administration official, one day after Biden called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to redouble efforts to reach a cease-fire in the six-month-old war in Gaza. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private letters, said Biden’s national security adviser will meet Monday with family members of some of the estimated 100 hostages who are believed to still be in Gaza. The letters to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, come as Biden has deployed CIA Director Bill Burns to Cairo for talks this weekend about the hostage crisis.
Quick Read
- Presidential Diplomacy: President Joe Biden wrote to the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, urging them to influence Hamas to negotiate a hostage deal with Israel. This initiative is part of efforts to address the ongoing six-month war in Gaza.
- Hostage Crisis Focus: The communication highlights the critical issue of approximately 100 hostages believed to be held in Gaza, with Biden emphasizing the urgency of securing their release.
- High-Level Engagement: The letters to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, reflect the U.S. administration’s direct involvement in seeking a resolution to the hostage situation.
- CIA Director’s Role: CIA Director Bill Burns is set to have discussions in Cairo over the weekend concerning the hostage crisis, indicating the significant diplomatic efforts being undertaken.
- Cease-Fire and Aid: The U.S. perceives a pause in the Israel-Hamas conflict, facilitated by a hostage-prisoner exchange, as a crucial step towards implementing a temporary cease-fire and enhancing the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
- Family Engagement: Biden’s National Security Adviser is scheduled to meet with family members of the hostages on Monday, signaling the administration’s commitment to addressing their concerns and the broader humanitarian implications of the war.
Associated Press has the story:
Biden urges Egypt, Qatar leaders to press Hamas for hostage deal with Israel
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP) —
President Joe Biden on Friday wrote to the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, calling on them to press Hamas for hostage deal with Israel, according to a senior administration official, one day after Biden called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to redouble efforts to reach a cease-fire in the six-month-old war in Gaza.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private letters, said Biden’s national security adviser will meet Monday with family members of some of the estimated 100 hostages who are believed to still be in Gaza.
The letters to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, come as Biden has deployed CIA Director Bill Burns to Cairo for talks this weekend about the hostage crisis.
White House officials say negotiating a pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas to facilitate the exchange of hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel is the only way to put a temporary cease-fire into effect and boost the flow of badly humanitarian aid into the territory.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said earlier Friday that Biden underscored the need to get a hostage deal done during a Thursday conversation with Netanyahu that largely focused on Israeli airstrikes that killed seven aid workers with World Central Kitchen.
“We are coming up on six months — six months that these people have been held hostage. And what we have to consider is just the abhorrent conditions” the hostages are being held in, Kirby said. “They need to be home with their families.”
