Arab Officials Say Gaza Ceasefire Deal Won’t Happen Unless US Pressures Israel
A hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas won’t happen unless the US puts pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, The Times of Israel reported on Wednesday.
The report cited unnamed Arab officials from Egypt and Qatar, the countries that have been mediating the talks between Israel and Hamas. They said Netanyahu is the main obstacle to an agreement.
One of the Arab officials said the US is the only party with enough leverage to get Netanyahu to agree to a deal since the US is Israel’s main weapons supplier. The official said the US could apply pressure by blaming Netanyahu publicly, but US officials have refused to do so even as it’s become clear the Israeli leader has been sabotaging the chances of a deal.
