Family members and activists marking the 25th birthday in captivity of Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker during a protest calling for the release of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip outside Hakirya Base in Tel Aviv, Dec.18, 2024. (Photo: Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90)
U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken expressed cautious optimism about the chances for a hostage deal with the Hamas terrorist organization, noting that the current circumstances have now made a deal possible.
The Washington Post reported that CIA Director Bill Burns left the Qatari capital of Doha without further progress in the talks, after spending a day attempting to push the negotiations over the finish line.
Reports over the past week suggest that the two sides were getting close to an agreement , with several officials speculating that a deal to release the Israeli hostages in Gaza could be signed within weeks – if not days.
On Wednesday, Blinken told the Council on Foreign Relations that he was “hopeful,” but cautioned that a deal could fall apart at the last minute.
In a Thursday interview with Bloomberg, Blinken emphasized that Hamas’ position was now so bad as to force the terror group into accepting a deal.
“We should logically be able to get [the agreement],” Blinken said.
“What’s changed is this: Hamas knows that the cavalry’s not coming to the rescue. For months and months, it hoped it would get a wider war with Hizballah, with Iran, with Iranian-aligned groups coming in and creating more problems from Israel on more fronts and helping Hamas endure,” he said.
“We now know that’s not happening, they know it’s not happening because of the very important work that was done with us and with others dealing with the unprecedented Iranian attacks on Israel, dealing with Hizballah. So I think that’s concentrated minds among Hamas on the need to complete this deal.”
Blinken added that the U.S. has been in contact with all partners who could have leverage over Hamas, “whether it’s Qatar, whether it’s Egypt, whether it’s Türkiye, where I was just last week.”
Despite the lack of progress made while Burns was in Qatar, the Washington Post reported that a U.S. delegation would continue the talks.
The outstanding gaps remain largely unchanged from previous months, including differences over the number and identity of the hostages and Palestinian prisoners to be released. Although Hamas has agreed in principle to initiate a ceasefire while IDF troops remain in Gaza, discussions continue about the timeline for a full withdrawal.
Israel, meanwhile, continues to insist on the right to restart military operations after the first phase of the agreement.
Despite the gaps, Blinken noted that “the fundamental question right now is: Is Hamas finally prepared to say yes?”
He added: “And if it does, we get the hostages back, we get a ceasefire, we get an immediate dramatic improvement in the lives of Palestinian children, women, and men who have been caught in this horrible crossfire since October 7th of Hamas’s making. If they really purport to care about the Palestinian people, they will say yes and do it now.”
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