When US President Joe Biden publicly proposed a Gaza ceasefire plan developed by Israel and the United States and sent to Hamas, he did so without consulting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to three informed US officials.
The unilateral announcement, an unusual move for the US with a close ally, was intentional, aiming to limit the chances for Israel or Hamas to back out. “We didn’t ask permission to announce the proposal,” stated a senior US official.
“We notified the Israelis that we would be addressing the Gaza situation, but we did not provide specific details.”
In a setback to Biden’s plan, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh stated on Wednesday that the group would demand a permanent end to the fighting in Gaza and an Israeli withdrawal as part of any ceasefire agreement.
Biden’s framing of the proposal as an offer from Israel was designed to raise hopes for a ceasefire and put pressure on Netanyahu, explained Jeremi Suri, a history and public affairs professor at the University of Texas at Austin.
“Biden is trying to pressure Netanyahu into accepting the proposal,” Suri said.
