White House upbeat on a Gaza truce deal
White House upbeat on a Gaza truce deal
Transcript
00:00It's a race against time, but POTUS Joe Biden is projecting confidence as he pushes Egypt and
00:05Qatar to step up efforts to get Hamas on the negotiating table with Israel for talks scheduled
00:11in the Qatari capital of Doha later today. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Whitakoswara found this
00:17story. Gazans bid farewell to loved ones killed in Israeli strikes that have continued since the
00:26October 7th terror attack carried out by Hamas, even as the United States and countries in the
00:31region pushed for a ceasefire. Talks are scheduled Thursday in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Hamas,
00:37a U.S.-designated terror group, is signaling it will not attend.
00:43We expect to be told by the mediators that Israel has accepted what is being offered,
00:49and any meeting should be based on talking about implementation mechanisms and setting
00:55deadlines rather than negotiating something new. On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary
01:00Karine Jean-Pierre projected confidence that talks will happen. There's always a lot of
01:05public posturing in advance. We've seen that before. It's not new. But President Joe Biden
01:11has admitted peace is elusive. It's getting hard. We'll see what Iran does, and we'll see what
01:17happens. But I'm not giving up. An Iranian attack on Israel is feared after the recent
01:24killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil. Israel did not claim responsibility for the
01:30killing but is widely blamed for the attack. The U.S. has deployed additional military assets to
01:38the region as deterrence against Iran and its other proxies, including Hezbollah. The group
01:44has intensified cross-border fire on Israel from Lebanon. Biden's envoy, Amos Hochstein,
01:50was in Beirut Wednesday. There is no more time to waste, and there's no more valid excuses
01:58from any party for any further delay. The warring parties blame each other for the deadlock.
02:05It is Hamas that continues to set additional terms and has refused to reach an agreement.
02:14Many are urging Biden to do more to pressure Israel. If he says to Netanyahu, game over,
02:21what's coming down the pipe, whether it's President Harris or President Trump, there
02:25isn't going to be the same kind of long leash for you. So it's time to kind of wrap it up
02:29and bring about a new era. That new era is regional integration for Israel in return for
02:35Palestinian statehood. But that is way down the line. A ceasefire in Gaza remains the elusive
02:42first step. Patsy Wida, Kuswara Viewing News, Washington.