(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden reiterated his commitment to try and negotiate a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas following a report that said officials in his administration believe the prospects for brokering such a deal are unlikely during his term.
“We must continue what we’ve been trying from the beginning, to make sure people in northern Israel as well as southern Lebanon are able to get back to their homes,” Biden said Friday at the White House where he held his first Cabinet meeting in nearly a year.
“If I ever say it’s not realistic the lie is on me. A lot of things don’t look realistic until we get them done. We have to keep at it,” the president added.
Biden’s comments come after a report in the Wall Street Journal that senior US officials are privately saying they don’t expect the administration to secure a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war before the president leaves office.
The US and allied partners have struggled to close the remaining gaps in the talks over a cease-fire, including details about the release of hostages and the deployment of Israeli troops.
US officials have said that a deal is roughly 90% complete, but negotiations to end the war were dealt another blow after the recent killing of six hostages held by Hamas. The group has been designated a terrorist organization by the US and the European Union.
The war, sparked by an assault by Hamas on Oct. 7 which saw 1,200 Israelis killed and about 250 others taken captive, is reaching its one-year mark next month. More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the territory.
The conflict has exposed deep tensions within the Democratic Party, with progressive voters and Arab and Muslim Americana critical of the Biden administration’s support for Israel — a rift which also threatens Vice President Kamala Harris’ White House bid. Harris has backed Israel’s right to defend itself but has also expressed more sympathy for the humanitarian plight of Palestinians in Gaza.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said earlier Friday said that the administration hasn’t given up hope on a deal, while acknowledging “it’s daunting” and that the goal is no closer than about a week ago.
“Nobody’s going to stop working towards this,” Kirby told reporters. “The president has directed his team to continue to try to find a way to see if we can get a proposal that both sides will agree.”
Friday’s Cabinet meeting came as Biden’s administration rushes to implement some of his signature legislative and regulatory initiatives before his term ends in January. Biden told his team they should accelerate those efforts, pushing to move funding out the door and announce new programs and policies during his waning months in office.
“We’re going to keep running through the tape,” he said.
The push has dual motivations – both to ensure that Democratic priorities are accomplished before a possible return of former President Donald Trump, and to boost Harris in her bid to prevent that from happening.
The White House has increasingly pivoted toward legacy-building events since Biden announced earlier this summer he would not seek reelection, after an unsteady debate performance against Trump accelerated fears over his age and acuity.
--With assistance from Jenny Leonard.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
